Beijing-style pork and cabbage dumplings

By Csaban

Traditional New Year's Dish - can be dipped in black rice vinegar, or soy sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped nappa cabbage
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce, plus extra for the dipping sauce
• 1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 6 ounces fatty ground pork
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup water or cold broth
• 2 tsp minced, peeled fresh ginger
• dumpling wrappers

Details

Servings 36

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a small bowl, toss cabbage and salt together. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to draw water out of the cabbage.

2. Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, rice wine and sugar in a medium bowl until sugar is dissolved. Vigorously stir in the pork and sesame oil, using a fork or chopsticks and stirring in one direction until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. Gradually add the water in 3 stages, vigorously stirring in the same direction until each addition is emulsified.

3. Squeeze the excess water from the cabbage with your hands and transfer to a plate, reserving the water. Add the cabbage water to pork mixture, vigorously stirring in the same direction; the mixture will be very soft. Stir in the drained cabbage and ginger. Use the filling immediately, or wrap and chill until ready to use, no more than 1 day.

Filling the wrappers

1. Hold a wrapper in a slightly cupped hand. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of filling on the wrapper, pushing down to keep the filling in the center, leaving 1/2 to 3/4 inch of wrapper dough clear on all sides. While cradling the dough with filling, pull up the sided edges and pinch the edges together to enclose the filling completely.

2. Place the dumpling, pinched side up, on a floured baking sheet or tray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling, covering and refrigerating as they are made.

Boil the dumplings:

1. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil over high heat. Add half of the dumplings and slowly stir, using the back of a ladle or large spoon to gently release any dumplings stuck to the bottom of the pot. When the water comes to a full boil, add a cup of tepid water to the pot, gently stir and return to a boil. Repeat twice. The dumplings are ready when they have been boiled three times, and float in the water.

2. Carefully lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon into shallow bowls. Serve with dipping sauce.

(I buy ready-made dumpling wrappers, but more adventurous cooks often make the wrappers themselves).

Makes enough filling for 3 dozen dumplings