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Simple Pork and Scallion Dumplings
Learn about the basics of bamboo steamers here.
About the author: After graduating from MIT, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt spent many years as a chef, recipe developer, writer, and editor in Boston. He now lives in New York with his wife. Got a suggestion for an upcoming topic? Email Kenji here, and he'll do his best to answer your queries in a future post. Become a fan of The Food Lab on Facebook for play-by-plays on future kitchen tests and recipe experiments
About This Recipe
| Yield: | about 75 dumplings |
| This recipe appears in: | Wok Skills 101: How to Steam in a Wok |
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork shoulder or pork belly, trimmed of connective tissue, but with fat intact, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, frozen
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons chicken stock, pork stock, or cold water
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 16 scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
- Round dumpling wrappers (either store-bought, or homemade)
Procedures
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1
Toss cubes of pork and salt in a medium bowl. Spread the pork pieces on a rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between the pieces than place in the freezer for 15 minutes until just starting to freeze, but still pliable.
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2
In bowl of food processor, combine salted pork, bacon, egg, stock, soy sauce, and sugar. Process until a rough puree is formed and pieces of pork are no larger than 1/8th of an inch, about 20 seconds. Add leeks to food processor and pulse until evenly incorporated, about 6 one-second pulses.
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3
Working with a few skins at a time, place approximately 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Use your finger to spread a small amount of water around the edge of each wrapper. Seal wrappers by folding in half and pleating one side 5 or 6 times, pinching the edges together as you go. Place finished dumplings on a parchment-lined baking sheet, separating them to avoid sticking, and covering the whole thing with a clean, damp washcloth.
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4
Line a bamboo steamer with wilted cabbage or lettuce leaves, or create a parchment liner. Place dumplings in steamer, leaving a small gap between each one a place over a wok of simmering water. Steam for 7 to 9 minutes until skins are translucent and filling is cooked through. Serve immediately with soy sauce, chili paste, Chinkiang vinegar, black vinegar, or plain rice vinegar.
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