Pork and Scallion Dumplings

I think that pork dumplings are my favorite because pork meat is more fatty than other meats, and there's a ton more flavor. I sometimes like to combine the meat with very finely shaved napa cabbage too because I like how it makes the texture of the meat softer and less condensed, so the inside doesn't taste like a meatball. If you don't want to use cabbage, you can just add in more scallion for a softer inside or a small amount of minced mushroom will work too! 

This filling recipe is enough to fill up about 30 dumpling wrappers. I love to serve them with chili oil, black vinegar and/or soy sauce. Cook as many as you want but you can freeze the ones you don't plan on eating for up to a month or two in the freezer!

You can purchase dumpling wrappers at your local Asian grocery store. I buy round gyoza wrappers from the freezer section at Tink Hall market in CLE's Asia Town area. Make sure you buy round wrappers though, square ones will not work for this folding method.

If you're wondering how I came to learn how to make dumplings you can thank zillions of random youtube tutorials that show how to make the perfect little pleats. Also, gotta give props to the little old man that helped me find the dumpling wrappers in the store. AND also this little Chinese restaurant called Mandarin by my house that makes the best dumplings - they're the ones that inspired me to use pork meat over other meat options!!

What You Need

• 20-30 round dumpling wrappers 
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1/2 cup shaved napa cabbage (optional, for a less meaty dumpling)
• 2 eggs
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or grated 
• 5 stalks of scallion/green onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp shoaxing cooking wine (rice vinegar will work too)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (if you want, you can use sesame oil here but I'm allergic)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper

What To Do

1. ​​Combine the pork, eggs, garlic, scallion, cooking wine, soy sauce, oils, salt and white pepper. Let it marinate for about 20 minutes in the fridge. 
2. Put a heaping teaspoon of pork filling onto each dumpling wrapper and fold them up one by one. I start by folding it up like a taco and then pleating the back end little by little from the middle. There's tons of YouTube videos you can watch to teach yourself if you need help.
3. Cook the dumplings! There are a few different ways to do this.

• Boil - cook for 10 minutes in boiling water then serve.
• Steam - place the dumplings in a bamboo steamer lined with either cabbage leaves or wax paper that has been punctured so that the steam can still rise through. Boil water in the bottom of a wok and place the bamboo steamer on top. Steam the dumplings for 10-12 minutes.
• Pan fry - add 3 tablespoons of neutral oil to a skillet on medium heat. Place the dumplings into the skillet when the oil is hot. They should sizzle. Cook for 4 minutes then check the bottom of the dumplings to make sure they aren't burning. Once they are golden brown on the bottom, add in 1/4 cup of water and cover quickly with a lid so that the top part of the dumplings will cook via the steam. After the water has mostly evaporated, check on them. If the bottoms are crispy and all the water has evaporated, they are done!