Pork and Cabbage Dumplings Pot Sticker Style
Dumplings are among my favorite foods. I love the variety of fillings, the innumerable ways they can be served, and the beautiful appearance of them on my plate. There’s something about those intricate folds on the edge of the wrapper that captivates my attention.
With food allergies to consider, dumplings and other Asian specialties can be difficult to find in safe forms. So, we have taken to making our own here at the farmhouse where we can control the ingredients and make sure that everything is safe to have at our table.
We’ve made several versions of dumplings over the years, but this pork version is our favorite. It’s filled with a few of our favorite flavors. We like to eat them prepared pot sticker style alongside the homemade pork fried rice we all love so much. The dumplings are steamed to cook the filling and then browned until crispy before serving with a few of our favorite sauces for dipping.
I like to make a double batch of these dumplings so that I can cook up half to serve and put the other half in the freezer. I line a sheet pan with freezer paper and fill the tray with dumplings before placing them in the freezer overnight. After they are frozen solid, I transfer the dumplings to a freezer bag for storage. The frozen dumplings cook up wonderfully if given just a few extra minutes and taste as fresh as the day they were made.
With a batch of these dumplings in the freezer, we can warm up a pan and have them on the table in a few minutes. They’re so delicious and safe for everyone at our table to enjoy. I hope that your family will enjoy them as much as ours does.
This recipe was created for the Twin Dragon Asian Wrapper Blogger Recipe Challenge. I was provided the eggroll wrappers used in this recipe as part of my participation in the recipe challenge. This post was not sponsored and I was not paid to use, review, or recommend the product. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to share a high quality brand with our readers. You can learn more about this product by visiting JSL Foods online, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. You can purchase JSL Foods Twin Dragon products at Albertsons, Shaw’s, Von’s, Stater Bros, Lucky’s, Food Maxx, Fred Meyer, QFC, Cub Foods, Rainbow Foods, Safeway, Associated Stores, Price Rite, Shop Rite, Winco, Price Chopper and Gelson’s.
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Pork and Cabbage Dumplings
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- ½ large head Napa cabbage , finely shredded
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 egg
- 4 green onions , sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 Tablespoon ginger , peeled and grated
- 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
For the Dumplings:
- 1 package Twin Dragon Asian Gyoza Wrappers
- ½ cup bone broth or chicken stock
For Serving:
- soy sauce
- rice vinegar
- sweet chili sauce
Instructions
Prepare the Filling:
- Place the shredded cabbage in a bowl. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and toss. Transfer the cabbage to a colander and allow to drain for 20 – 30 minutes. After the time has elapsed, transfer the salted cabbage to a piece of cheesecloth, tea towel, or kitchen towel. Gather the edges and turn them to squeeze the cabbage and drain away as much of the liquid as possible. Draining away the excess moisture will help to concentrate the cabbage flavor and also prevent your filling from becoming watery.
- In a large bowl, combine the drained cabbage with the remaining filling ingredients. Knead them together to evenly distribute the ingredients. If you would like to test the filling for seasoning, fully cook a spoonful in a small skillet before tasting and adjusting the seasoning to your liking.
Form the Dumplings:
- Prepare a baking sheet to hold the finished dumplings by lining with parchment or freezer paper. Line your work surface with a second piece. This will make cleanup a breeze and prevent the wrappers from sticking as you work with them. Fill a small bowl with water.
- To fill the dumplings, place about 1 Tablespoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. I like to set up 4 or so at a time on my work surface to make this process move a little faster. Pick up one of the wrappers and rest it in the palm of your hand. Use the fingers of your opposite hand to lightly wet the edge of the wrapper with the water. Take care not to use too much water as that will make this task more difficult.
- Seal the mound of filling by folding the wrapper in half to create a crescent shape. Press out any air so that the wrapper lies flat against the filling. Seal the edge, pinching and pleating into a row of folds as you do so. Most dumplings of this size have a dozen or so pleats.
- Traditionally, the edges of a dumpling are pleated into a beautifully crisp edge. That takes practice and precision. While the pleated edge is a gorgeous finish to the dumpling, it is purely decorative. So, don’t let the pleating intimidate you or prevent you from making homemade dumplings. Seal the wrapper well around the filling and try pleating. If it doesn’t work for you, concentrate on sealing them well and know that they will taste every bit as delicious. You can seal the edge and then go back over to create a few pleats along that edge, creating a sort of faux pleat. I’ve done that many times when my fingers just don’t want to work that edge the way they should. As with most decorative finishes in the kitchen, practice does make perfect.
- Transfer the finished dumplings to the lined tray with the sealed/pleated edge facing up. Continue filling and forming the dumplings until you have used all the filling.
- Filled dumplings can be frozen at this point. Simply place them in the freezer on the lined tray. I like to allow them to freeze solid for 2 hours or overnight. Transfer the frozen dumplings to a freezer bag for long term storage. They can be cooked directly from the freezer by adding 2-3 minutes to the cooking time.
Cook the Dumplings Pot Sticker Style:
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add a single layer of dumplings pleated seam up and cook until the bottom surface is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Add ½ cup of bone broth or chicken stock to the pan and immediately cover with a tight fitting lid. Allow the dumplings to gently steam for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and check a dumpling to ensure that the filling is firm and fully cooked. This one dumpling becomes a nice reward for the chef to eat while finishing the dumplings.
- Continue to cook the dumplings for a few minutes, using a spatula to loosen any dumplings that have become stuck to the pan. Cook until the broth has evaporated and the bottom surface of the dumplings has become crispy again.
- Transfer the dumplings to a plate or serving platter and serve with your favorite Asian inspired sauces. I like to mix a bit of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sweet chili sauce in a shallow bowl for dipping and also set out soy sauce and sweet chili sauce to allow everyone to choose their favorite dipping sauce.