Food

Pork and Veggie Pan-Seared Dumplings Recipe

Pan-sear these savory pork and vegetable dumplings until golden and crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, then serve hot, doused with your favorite chili crisp.
erics-dumplings-recipe
Photo by Farideh Sadeghin

Makes about 60
Prep time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 

INGREDIENTS

1 pound|450 grams 70/30 ground pork 
¼ cup|60 ml Shaoxing wine 
3 tablespoons granulated sugar 
2 tablespoons soy sauce 
1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder 
1 tablespoon freshly ground white pepper 
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon MSG 
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard, melted, plus more for searing the dumplings 
9 ounces|250 grams Taiwanese cabbage, finely chopped 
5 garlic chives, finely chopped  
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped 
1 medium shallot, diced 
1 rib Chinese celery, finely chopped  
1 (14-ounce|398-gram) package dumpling wrappers
chili crisp, preferably Sze Daddy, to serve

DIRECTIONS 

  1. Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the pork, Shaoxing wine, sugar, soy sauce, five spice, white pepper, salt, cornstarch, and MSG. Mix until the pork becomes slightly stringy, then add in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or lard and continue to mix until the whole thing is homogenous. Add the cabbage, garlic chives, scallions, shallot, and celery and mix to combine.
  2. Form the dumplings: Working with one dumpling wrapper at a time, dip your finger in a small bowl of water and wet the perimeter of the wrapper. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper and fold up and in half, forming a half moon. Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dumplings. 
  3. Cook the dumplings: Working in batches, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Place the dumplings, bottom-side down, and cook until the underside is golden, about 2 minutes. Pour ⅓ cup|80 ml water over the dumplings and cover. Cook until steamed and cooked through and the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes longer. Wipe out the skillet and repeat with the remaining dumplings. Serve with chili crisp. 

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