Pork dumplings. Jiaozi. Potsitckers. No matter what you call them, they are universally recognized as one of the greatest things you can put in your mouth in one bite. Although many other dumplings are contenders.
Is there any special flavor that comes from making your own dumpling wrappers? Not really, but I’m going to show you how to do it anyway. The real flavor is in the filling.
This filling is made with bok choy, green onion, cabbage, ground pork, and a special sauce. The result, is a juicy jiaozi. I forgot to even make a dipping sauce. These pork dumplings don’t need one!
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Pork Dumplings Tips
I included a video with the recipe card, so hopefully any questions you have about pork dumplings not answered there are answered here. If not, comment below and I’ll be sure to respond!
The Filling
For the cabbage, we are only using the green outer layers. They have a lower moisture content than the inner layers, which could mess up the jiaozi. For the bok choy, also just the green part. A little of the white stem is okay. Green onion, you guessed it. The green part.
Normally, a special Chinese cooking wine is used in the marinade of the pork dumplings. You don’t need to make a special trip for that, any dry red is fine. Cabernet and merlot are both good options.
It might seem like a lot of salt, but we have a lot of filling to season. Plus, the salt helps wilt the cabbage and bok choy, which makes it incorporate into the mixture better.
The Wrappers
If you want to make your own jiaozi wrappers, you will definitely want some help. It will take a lot of time to roll out the wrappers. I recommend your best friends or your most hated enemies.
Your friends because they will make it less miserable. Your enemies because then they can experience hell with you.
Roll them as thin as you can. Also, heavily flour your counter and your rolling pin. Roll from the center towards the edges. If you have multiple people, do an assembly line where one person rolls, one fills and folds.
Different Ways to Cook Pork Dumplings
The only other method of cooking these pork dumplings that I can confirm will work is boiling them. Since they have raw pork, you have to steam them at some point to cook the pork.
I’m not sure about deep frying. There’s a lot of moisture inside, so if the wrappers come undone, you could have oil spattering all over the place (if someone tries this let me know if it works).
Why Use Cast Iron?
I like cast iron cause it gets ripping hot. That’s important so you can get a nice sear on the bottom of the dumplings, and also make the steam hot enough to cook the pork inside thoroughly. If you want one, this is the one I have. Just never grab the handle with your bare hand while cooking, you will cry.
Cool fact, you can wash cast iron with soap. In the past, soap was made with lye which is what reacted badly with the cast iron. Cast iron is also super durable, and lets you use metal utensils without fear of scratching the coating. If you ever need to re-season the pan, wipe it with some oil and pop it in the oven.
If you like this recipe, try my putu piring for dessert. It’s a steamed rice cake with palm sugar and coconut. Or, for other desserts to pair this with, check out my Chinese dessert guide. I compiled 83 recipes for you to choose from!
Pork Dumplings With Homemade Wrappers (Jiaozi)
Equipment
- cast iron skillet
Ingredients
The Wrappers
- 3 cups flour
- 1¼ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
The Marinade
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ⅛ tsp fish sauce
- ¾ tbsp salt
- ⅔ cup red wine
- ½ cup canola oil
The Filling
- 3 cups cabbage shredded
- 2 cups bok choy chopped
- ¾ cup green onion chopped
- 1.5 lbs ground pork
Instructions
The Wrappers
- Mix the flour, water, and salt in a large mixing bowl for 6 minutes. Then, knead the dough for another 8 minutes. Cover the dough and let it rest on the counter for an hour. While waiting, prepare the filling.
The Filling
- Quarter your cabbage and take off the outer leafy green layers. These are parts of the cabbage we want to use. Finely shred the cabbage.
- Cut the white stems off the bok choy. We are using mainly the green part. Chop this and the green onion.
- Add veggies to a mixing bowl with the ground pork.
The Marinade
- Add your marinade together in a bowl, mix and pour over your filling. Mix it thoroughly, use hands if you have to.
Make The Wrappers
- Make a hole in the center of your dough, forming it into a giant donut. Cut it in half, and stretch each half into a snake. Cut the snake into 1/2 inch chunks.
- Flour your work space. Roll out the chunks into flat discs. Stack them on top of each other, with flour in between.
Make The Dumplings
- Put a spoonful of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Wet the edges with water. Pinch the edges together at the top, closing the dumpling. Repeat until you run out of wrappers or filling.
- Add a thin layer of canola oil to the bottom of a cast iron skillet. Heat up on medium. Once hot, add your dumplings, flat side down. Pan fry for 5 minutes.
- Add 1/4 cup of water to the skillet. Cover with a lid. Continue cooking on medium low until the water evaporates, about 7 minutes. Repeat with the rest of your dumplings. Enjoy!
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