Pork and Cabbage Pot Stickers
Pork and Cabbage Pot Stickers
Makes 40 to 50 dumplings; Serves 6 to 8, as main meal.
Dumplings are any starchy rolled dough wrapped around a small filling and cooked. They are about as universal as flatbreads or pancakes — nearly every culture has a version. There are pierogi in Poland, momo in Nepal and Tibet, manti in Turkey, ravioli in Italy, samosa in India, pelmeni in Russia, mandoo in Korea, and on… Dumplings are thought to have first been made in northern China over 1,800 years ago. They were called jiaozi, but today are known as pot stickers or wontons. People believe that one of the earliest Chinese doctors, Zhang Zhongjing (150 - 219 C.E.), invented dumplings to help the people of his village survive the long, cold winters. This recipe is a pork and cabbage version, however you can swap the pork for ground turkey, ground tofu (use a food processor) or vegetables like carrot, mushrooms or more cabbage.
Ingredients:
For the dumplings:
1 pound Napa or green cabbage (about 1/2 medium head)
3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
1 pound ground pork or ground dark turkey meat (*See NOTE below: for vegetarian pot stickers)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (about 3 medium cloves)
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 ounces minced scallions (about 3 medium to large scallions)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 package dumpling wrappers (40 to 50 wrappers, set in fridge after buying to thaw)
Vegetable or canola oil for cooking
For the sauce:
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili oil (optional)
(*NOTE: 1 pound of any minced or finely grated vegetable like mushrooms, carrots, or more cabbage can be used in place of ground pork or turkey. Just sprinkle the grated vegetable with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, let sit for a few minutes, then squeeze out excess water, as you do with the cabbage. You can also use tofu and pulse in a food processor (or chop it using a chef knife) until finely ground. Treat ground tofu as you would the ground pork.
Steps:
1. Make the dumplings: Using a chef knife or a food processor, finely chop the cabbage. Place in a large bowl with 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon fine salt) and toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Transfer cabbage to the center of a clean dishtowel or piece of cheesecloth and gather up the edges. Twist the towel to squeeze the cabbage, wringing out as much excess moisture as possible. Discard the liquid. (If using carrot or mushroom instead of pork, treat these vegetables as you did the cabbage. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, let sit, then squeeze out excess water.)
2. Combine the ground meat (or tofu), drained cabbage (and extra veggies, for vegetarian version), remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon fine salt), black pepper, garlic, ginger, scallions, sugar, and soy sauce in a large bowl and knead, turning with clean hands, until the mixture is homogeneous and starts to feel sticky. Test a piece: transfer a teaspoon-sized amount to a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high power until no longer pink, about 20 seconds. (If you do not have a microwave, heat in a small skillet.) Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, soy sauce and/or sugar if desired.
3. Set up a work station with a small bowl of water, a clean dish towel for wiping your fingers, a bowl of the dumpling filling, a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet for the finished dumplings, and a stack of dumpling wrappers covered in plastic wrap.
4. To form dumplings, hold one wrapper on top of a flat hand. Use your finger tip to gently moisten the edge of the wrapper with water (do not use too much water). Wipe fingertip dry on kitchen towel. Using a spoon, place a 2 teaspoon-sized amount of filling in the center of the wrapper (less filling is better than more.)
5. Working from one side, carefully seal the filling inside the wrapper by folding it into a crescent shape, pleating in an edge as it meets the other (see here for more detailed step by step instructions. For simpler dumpling shapes, go here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZDJ30PDiu8) Transfer the finished dumplings to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the shaped dumplings loosely in plastic, as you roll out more. You want to plan on 6 to 8 dumplings per person as a main meal.
6. At this point the dumplings may be frozen by placing the baking sheet in the freezer. Freeze dumplings for at least 30 minutes then transfer to a sealable freezer bag for long-term storage. Dumplings can be frozen for up to 2 months and cooked directly from the freezer.
7. To cook: Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering and hot. Add as many dumplings as will fit in a single layer and cook, swirling pan, about 1 1/2 minutes.
8. Increase heat to medium-high, add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water and cover tightly with a lid. Let dumplings steam for 3 minutes (5 minutes if frozen), then remove lid. Continue cooking, swirling pan frequently, until the water has fully evaporated and the dumplings have crisped and are nicely brown on the bottom, about 6 to 8 minutes longer. Using a thin spatula, gently dislodge the dumplings. (If they are crispy enough they should detach easily from the non-stick skillet, but some may need help.) Slide dumplings onto a plate, turning them crisped-side-up before serving with the sauce. Clean out the skillet and repeat as needed with remaining dumplings and oil.
9. For the sauce: Combine vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil, if using. Serve sauce with dumplings. Recipe adapted from J. Kenji Lopez- Alt, from Serious Eats.
