Pork Dumplings with Sauce: A Labor of Love
Ingredients
- For the Sauce:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup black vinegar (the unsung hero of tangy perfection)
- 2 tsp chili garlic sauce (bring the heat!)
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
- For the Pork Dumplings:
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 cup thinly sliced chives (use both the white and green parts—they deserve equal love)
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp grated ginger (extra points if it’s fresh)
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 30 dumpling wrappers (about 3.5 inches in diameter—no, bigger isn’t always better)
- Canola oil (for frying, not for drinking)
Instructions
- Step 1: Sauce It Up
- Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set it aside. Resist the urge to drink it—this is for dipping, not sipping.
- Step 2: Make the Filling
- In a large bowl, combine the pork, chives, garlic, ginger, salt, cornstarch, pepper, and sugar. Stir it all together until it looks like the kind of mixture you wouldn’t mind wrapping in dough.
- Step 3: Dumpling Folding 101
- Now the real fun begins:
- Grab a dumpling wrapper and plop 1 tablespoon of filling in the center (if you’re fancy, use a #100 scoop for precision).
- Dip your finger in water and moisten the edges of the wrapper. It’s like sealing an edible envelope.
- Fold the wrapper over the filling, pinch it shut, and pleat the edges. Be sure to press out all the air—it’s a dumpling, not a balloon.
- Repeat this process until you have 30 perfect little bundles of joy.
- Step 4: Time to Fry
- Cooking dumplings is part art, part science, and all delicious:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. You’re looking for shimmering oil, not smoke signals.
- Place 10 dumplings in the pan. Give them their space; no one likes a clingy dumpling.
- Fry for 1 minute, just until the bottoms start turning golden brown.
- Add 1/2 cup water, cover, and let them steam for 2 minutes. This step is like giving your dumplings a spa treatment.
- Uncover and cook until the water evaporates, leaving the bottoms golden, brown, and delicious (GBD).
- Step 5: Repeat and Serve
- Cook the rest of the dumplings in batches, repeating the steps above. Serve hot with the sauce you heroically resisted sipping earlier.
Notes
If your first dumpling looks more like an art project gone wrong, don’t worry—it’s all part of the journey. Just keep folding, pleating, and taste-testing until you achieve dumpling nirvana. Remember, practice makes perfect, and extra dumplings make everyone happy.