Pork And Squid Chinese Dumpling Filling Food

CHINESE PORK DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon chives, sesame seeds, and chile sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Mix pork, garlic, egg, 2 tablespoons chives, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Place a dumpling wrapper on a lightly floured work surface and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the middle. Wet the edge with a little water and crimp together forming small pleats to seal the dumpling. Repeat with remaining dumpling wrappers and filling.
• Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place 8 to 10 dumplings in the pan and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Pour in 1 cup of water, cover and cook until the dumplings are tender and the pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Repeat for remaining dumplings. Serve with soy sauce mixture for dipping.

CHINESE PORK DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• The filling: Place the cabbage in a food processor, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pulse until finely chopped but not puréed. Wrap the chopped cabbage in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove juices, then transfer to a large bowl. Add ginger, garlic, scallions, and, if desired, garlic chives. Add the shrimp and pork and season with 1/4 cup soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt and pepper. Mix together by hand.
• Taste the filling by poaching or frying a small amount, and adjust seasonings to taste. To prepare the dipping sauce, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds in a small bowl.
• To wrap, place 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of a dumpling wrapper. Wet the wrapper's edges, then fold in half to form a taco-like shape. Make a pleat on the side facing you about 20 degrees from the apex of the half-circle and seal with your fingers to the back of the skin. Repeat on the other quarter, in mirror fashion, and seal the dumpling completely, trying to eliminate any air pockets. Repeat until all filling is used.
• To pan fry, heat oil in a large, nonstick pan over high heat. Add the dumplings in one layer so that they do not overlap. Add water to come halfway up the dumplings, and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook until all water is evaporated and the bottoms are browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, the dumplings can be steamed until cooked through, about 5 minutes in a steam basket.
• Transfer the dumplings to a plate and serve with a dipping sauce.

PORK DUMPLINGS WITH SOY DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Trim away top of onion, then cut in half, leaving the root intact; peel away and discard the skin. Lay halves flat on a cutting board, then make vertical slices, stopping at the root so the onion half stays intact. Then slice crosswise to a small, uniform dice. Place in a bowl and set aside. Smash, peel, and finely mince garlic. Add to the bowl with the onions. Use a peeler or spoon to remove ginger skin. Slice into thin coins, then julienne as thinly as possible. Cut crosswise to mince. Add to bowl with onions and garlic.
• In a large sauté pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, a pinch of salt, and a few cranks of black pepper until slightly caramelized, 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, finely mince garlic chives. Stir aromatics, then cook 1-2 more minutes.Make the dipping sauce: In a bowl, combine soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and brown sugar. Whisk to combine. Add star anise and set aside. Add minced chives and another pinch of salt to the aromatics. Cook until chives begin to soften, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a plate or bowl to cool completely, 30 minutes. (Alternatively, cool in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.)
• Once the aromatics have cooled, finish the dumpling filling: In a large bowl, add pork. Place tofu in a small strainer set over a second bowl; use a wooden spoon to gently press excess water out of the tofu. Add drained tofu to the pork, along with the aromatics, hoisin sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well. (Use your hands for quicker, more even mixing.) In a skillet, heat ½ teaspoon oil over medium heat. Cook a small patty of the dumpling filling; taste and adjust seasoning with hoisin sauce or salt as needed.
• Fill and fold dumplings: Fill a small bowl with water and place it nearby. Place a tablespoon of filling in a wrapper. Use your finger to "paint" a little water halfway around the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper shut and pinch to close, making a half moon shape. (Optional: Make a pleat in the middle, or pleat all the way around.) Wrapper edges should be flush and completely sealed, and there should be no air bubbles in the dumpling. Place each finished dumpling on a sheet pan, and repeat until you've used all the filling. (Optional: Freeze any dumpling mixture you want to save for another time; defrost before using.) To store uncooked dumplings, place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze completely; then pack them into plastic freezer bags. Frozen dumplings will last 2-3 weeks. (Note: They do not refrigerate well.)
• Cook dumplings: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add just enough oil to coat the bottom, about 1 tablespoon. Add dumplings in an even layer, about 10. Brown the dumplings on one side, 2-3 minutes. Then carefully add about ¼ inch of water, and immediately place the lid on top of the pan; steam until nearly all the water evaporates, 3-5 minutes. Remove the cover and allow the dumplings to fry again, just long enough to fully brown. Once they are fully browned, flip to slightly crisp the other side, about a minute. Plate and serve the dumplings immediately with dipping sauce. (Note: To cook frozen dumplings, follow the same procedure, but with slightly more water so they steam a little longer and cook through.)

PORK-AND-CHIVE DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• To begin the dough, put the flour and salt in a large bowl. Use your fingers to stir in the water and egg white, until the dough comes together as a shaggy ball. Move the dough to a flour-dusted work surface, and knead it, dusting with more flour to keep it from sticking, until it is smooth to the touch, with no cracks or pockets of flour. Cover the dough, and let it rest at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Knead the dough about 10 times, or until it forms a firm ball as smooth as satin. Use a dough scraper or a flour-dusted knife to cut it into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log, and cut it into 6 equal pieces (for a total of 24 small pieces). Flatten the pieces with your hands, and roll each one into a 3-to-4-inch round wrapper. As you work, cover the dough with a lightly moistened towel to keep it from drying out.
• To prepare the filling, place the ingredients in a mixing bowl, and use your hands to combine them until they are well blended. Place a rounded tablespoon of the filling at the center of each wrapper, and gently squeeze the edges shut. As you work, push out any air bubbles and fix any tears. When ready to eat, bring a large pot of water to boil. Boil the dumplings 6 at a time, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until they float to the surface and the wrappers turn puffy and translucent. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate and serve immediately.

PORK AND CHIVE DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a large sauté pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger until translucent and slightly caramelized. Add the chives and cook just to soften them, about 1 minute longer. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let it cool.
• Once the onion has cooled, add the tofu, 1⁄3 cup (75 ml) of the hoisin sauce, the salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the pork to the bowl and mix it with the seasonings until you can see that the chives and tofu are evenly distributed throughout the meat.
• In a small frying pan, cook a small spoonful of the meat mixture in a little bit of oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the meat with more hoisin sauce and/or salt, if necessary.
• Prepare a small dish of water and line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in each dumpling wrapper. Using your finger, paint a little water around the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half and simply pinch it closed, or crimp it. Place each finished dumpling on the baking sheet and repeat until you've used all the filling.
• You can freeze them directly on the baking sheet until they harden, then pack them into plastic freezer bags. (They do not refrigerate well.) They will last for 3 months.
• To cook fresh dumplings (see Cooks' Note for frozen), heat a nonstick frying pan or well- seasoned cast-iron skillet with just enough oil to coat the bottom. Add just enough dumplings so that they are not overcrowded and don't touch. Brown the dumplings on one side, then add about 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) of water, cover, and steam the dumplings until nearly all the water evaporates.
• Remove the cover and let the dumplings begin to fry again, just long enough to crisp them slightly, then serve them immediately with the dipping sauce.
• Cooks' Note
• To cook frozen dumplings, follow the same procedure above for fresh dumplings, but use 1⁄3 inch (8 mm) water so they steam a little longer and cook through.
• I learned how to fold dumplings at an early age with the help of my grandmother and mother, and before we opened The Good Fork, I used to have dumpling-making parties at home. That's how I know that making one hundred dumplings at a time sounds daunting but is the only way to do it. Gather a few friends, make the dumplings together, then you each get some to tuck away-packaged by the dozen-into the freezer for weeks to come.