Pork Dumplings

Pork dumplings is a easy Chinese recipe that is comforting, easy to make, and versatile. Winter is just around the corner and I can already imagine myself deep in hibernation mode – snuggling up with the kiddies while watching a movie and too lazy to go out to buy food. That’s why I usually prepare a few batches of my favorite pork and chive dumplings ahead of time so that we can have something ready for those lazy days (as all the mamas know, there WILL be those lazy days). These pork and chive dumplings are delicious and comforting and super easy to make! These dumplings can be pan fried (pot stickers commonly known as guo tie) or steamed or in soup (shui jiao), depending on how you feel.

History of Dumplings

Dumplings or jiaozi has been around for over 1,800 years! According to legend, dumplings were invented by a Chinese herbal medicine practitioner named Zhang Zhongjian during the Han dynasty. After seeing that the people of the village were suffering from frostbite on their face and ears, Zhang boiled some lamb meat and herbal medicine, chopped it up, wrapped it in wheat flour skin, folded them into the shape of ears, and boiled them. While it is never confirmed whether these magically cured the villagers, it did however, make a lasting impact in Chinese history. Depending on which region of China you’re from, there are endless varieties of jiao zi. But without a doubt, my favorite jiaozi is pork and chives. 

Methods of Cooking Dumplings

This jiaozi has it all – a little bit of fat from the pork to give it some weight, the crisp bite of shrimp, combined with the fragrant garlic and onion flavor of the chives. I personally love to enjoy these jiaozi with some vegetables in a bowl of hot chicken broth, with a spoonful of hot chili oil and soy sauce. I highly recommend enlisting a little assistant to help you wrap the dumplings. It’s a fun and easy activity and it’s a great way to bond with your kids. Connor loves helping me make jiaozi, although, sometimes he eats faster than he can make them. Hope you enjoy this recipe with your family!

Ingredients

• ½  lb of frozen shrimp, defrosted and chopped into ½ inch increments
• 2 oz of chives, washed and chopped finely into 1cm increments
• 1 pound of ground pork (80% lean, 20% fat)
• ½  tsp of cornstarch
• ½  tbsp chicken bouillon
• ¼  tsp white pepper
• ½  tsp of salt or to taste
• ½  tsp of sesame oil
• 1 egg, egg white and yolk separated.
• 1 pack of shui gow dumpling wrappers

Instructions

To make the filling

1. Defrost frozen shrimp by soaking it in a bowl of water. Shrimp defrosts quickly, it takes about 10 minutes. Chop into ½ inch increments.
2. Wash and chop chives into 1 cm increments. Discard the ends of the chives. 

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3. Combine ground pork, shrimp, corn starch, and chives in a large mixing bowl, mix well.

4. Combine seasonings: chicken bouillon powder, white pepper, salt, and sesame oil in a small mixing bowl, mix well. 

5. Separate egg whites using the eggshells to transfer the egg yolk back and forth until egg whites drip into a small bowl. Set egg whites aside. 

6. Combine seasonings: chicken bouillon powder, white pepper, salt, and sesame oil in a small mixing bowl, mix well.

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To make the dumpling

1. With wrapper in hand, add ½ tablespoon full of filling in the center of the wrapper. Make sure that there is an even distribution of shrimp, chives, and pork in each dumpling.
2. Using a chopstick as a brush, brush the outer edges of the wrapper with egg whites.
3. Fold dumpling in half. Using your thumb and index finger, close the outer edges of the dumpling until you make your way towards the middle. Fold two creases at the top of the dumpling to secure the close.

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