Pork and Chive Dumplings

Hi Devon,

A recent trip to Chinatown inspired me to make dumplings. I don't have a written recipe for them- it's more like a vague know-how. Making dumplings is usually a whole day affair. Call in all your helpers and put on some music. I like to make a huge batch. I line them up on a baking sheet and freeze them for later use. Later in the week or month, I have quick dinners or small snacks ready to go. The process looks daunting, but it's really no harder than baking a cake or making lasagna.
I used the leftover pork filling and chives to make fried rice. No point in letting anything go to waste.
Pork and Chive Dumplings
makes 58

1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1/2 pound of garlic chives, chopped
2 tbsp garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)
2 tbsp ginger, minced
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 package round dumpling wrappers

Sauce
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 scallion
1/4 tsp sesame seeds

For the filling: In a large bowl, mix together ground pork, chopped garlic chives, ginger, and garlic. Whisk together soy sauce, oil, flour, salt, and white pepper. Using a wooden spoon, stir soy sauce mixture into meat. Mix thoroughly.

Fill a small bowl with water. Line a large baking sheet with wax paper and set nearby.

Peel away one wrapper from the stack. Place a rough tablespoon of filling in the center. Using your finger, lightly moisten the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling into a half moon shape. Pinch the edges to seal. Pleat the edges three times to secure. Place on a baking sheet. Freeze in the freezer overnight. Store in a ziploc bag.

There are two ways to cook dumplings: pan fry or boil. The second method is the simplest. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add dumplings and cook in the boiling water, roughly 5-8 minutes. To pan fry, heat a bit of oil in a large skillet. Add dumplings. Gently cook until all sides are lightly browned. Pour in 1/4 cup of water and quickly cover. Cook on medium high heat for additional 5 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.

Whisk ingredients for the sauce in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Mix in chopped scallions and sesame seeds.