How to make Pork Dumplings

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So, this dish wasn’t on my meal plan this week, but — hey — I get cravings. Cravings that MUST be IMMEDIATELY appeased.

(immediately, I tell you)

Thursday, I began hankering for fried wontons . . . pork dumplings. . . dim sum. Since I’m not a fan of Asian buffets, I decided to try my hand at making them.

I did NOT disappoint myself. These were GOOD.

My husband decided we needed to deep-fry them . . . just like his childhood best friend's Korean mother did. Apparently, her dumplings were amazing.

I adapted the following recipe from this Pork Dumpling recipe. I used a pork/turkey blend and added extra veggies that I had on hand. And despite the cups and cups of vegetables, this was still a very meaty dumpling (which pleased my carnivorous husband); I could have added even more veggies if I wanted to stretch the filling and make more.

Kale, napa cabbage, and carrots are just some of the veggies you could add to this.

This recipe makes around 100 dumplings, giving you PLENTY for a good meal and then some to freeze for later. I cooked about 25 for four of us (I served this as a main dish, rather than a side or an hors d’oerve) and froze the rest.

All mixed together.

Filling dumplings

Ready to cook.

This method was VERY good but I'm going to try steaming them next time for a lighter, healther food.

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Recipe: Asian Dumplings

Ingredients

100 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers (roughly 2 packages of wrappers; I found them where my grocery store keeps the tofu)
1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground turkey
2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
4 cloves garlic, minced (I use the “already-minced-for-me-in-a-jar” garlic; so much easier)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 egg, beaten
5 cups finely shredded Chinese cabbage (also known as napa cabbage)
1 cup finely shredded kale leaves (do not use the stem)
1 cup finely shredded carrots

To Assemble

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring until well mixed. (I found using my hands to be a much more effective way to mix everything)
Place a teaspoon of filling on each wonton. Using your finger dipped in water, dampen the edges of the wonton and then fold the wonton over into a triangle. Press edges to seal in filling — you can simply press them, which is how Hubby said his best friend’s mom did them, or you can also roll the edges. Either way, be prepared to get a little messy. Set dumplings aside till ready to cook.

To Cook

To Cook, option 1: Steam dumplings in a steamer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
To Cook, option 2: Fill a stock-pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the filled dumplings to the water. When they rise and float on the surface of the water, cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
To Cook, option 3: Deep fry in a couple of inches of oil, heated to 375 degrees. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.
To Cook, option 4: Heat a frying pan over medium heat and then spray with cooking spray. Brown the dumplings on each side and then add 1 cup of water (or chicken stock) and cover with a lid. When the broth has evaporated, remove the lid and allow the dumplings to “crisp” back up. Watch them closely — I’ve used this method before with store-made wontons and it is easy to burn them!

TO FREEZE

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place filled dumplings on it. Flash freeze and when frozen, remove from the pan and place all dumplings in freezer-safe container or bag. To cook after freezing, I have found they cook BEST if allowed to thaw first. Then, simply cook according to your preferred method (listed above).

Quick Notes

*The prep work is the most time consuming aspect of this recipe. You could always use a cole slaw veggie pack to save time, but you’ll probably want to give it all a rough chop since regular green cabbage is much tougher than Chinese/Napa cabbage.

**These can be served with any pre-made Asian dipping sauce; I threw together a blend of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and hot mustard for Hubby and me. The kidlets (who each ate FOUR of these) dipped theirs in soy sauce.

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