Recipe: Pork and Chinese Cabbage Dumplings

In celebration of Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year), specifically the Year of the Pig, Green Plate Special would like to share with you our pork and Chinese cabbage dumpling recipe!

Serves: 4 as a main dish
Ingredients:

• 1lb ground pork
• 2 1/2 cups Chinese cabbage, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 stalk green onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder

Make It:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients with a spatula or your hands. Set aside for filling.

2. Put 1 Tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Spread water on the edge of one half of the dumpling wrapper, using your finger (to help stick) and fold the other half on top to create a half moon. (Optional: make a pleated edge, or fold the two corners together.)

3. As you make them, put them on a floured baking sheet. If you are not cooking them right away, put them in the refrigerator to prevent sticking. If waiting several hours, cover with plastic wrap keep in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze them on a baking sheet until hard, then transfer to a zip-top freezer bag. They will last frozen for up to 1 month.

4. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add 10-12 dumplings at a time, bring the water back to a boil and add ½ cup of tap water. Bring to a boil and add ½ cup water two more times for a total of three times per batch to ensure the dumplings cook perfectly.

5. In a large shallow bowl add about a tablespoon of sesame oil. Use a slotted spoon to remove the dumplings from the water, a few at a time, and add them to the bowl. GENTLY move the dumplings around in the sesame oil to coat them so they don’t stick together.

6. Without adding more water, return the water to a boil and cook the remaining dumplings as described above.

Notes:

Serve with a dipping sauce. Soy ginger sauce is great for these dumplings!