Chinese · Free recipe
Pork and Chive Dumplings
Juicy pan-fried potstickers filled with seasoned pork and fragrant chives, crisp and golden on the bottom and tender on top. Dipped in black vinegar, they are impossible to stop eating.
Step 1
Make the filling: in a large bowl combine the pork, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, ginger, scallions, sugar, and white pepper. Add the 3 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring vigorously in one direction each time until the meat absorbs the water and turns sticky and paste-like. This makes the filling juicy.
Step 2
Stir in the chopped chives until evenly distributed. Do this last so they stay fresh and green.
Step 3
Set up a small bowl of water for sealing and line a tray with parchment.
Step 4
Hold a wrapper in your palm and place 1 rounded teaspoon of filling in the center. Do not overfill or it will burst.
Step 5
Dip a finger in the water and run it around the wrapper's edge. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling to make a half-moon and pinch the center closed.
Step 6
Working from the center outward, make 3 small pleats on each side, pressing each pleat firmly against the back flat edge to seal. Set the finished dumpling seam-up on the tray so it stands. Repeat with the rest.
Step 7
Set a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 1.5 tablespoons oil. Arrange half the dumplings flat-side down in a tight single layer and fry for 2 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
Step 8
Carefully pour in 1/3 cup water (it will steam and sputter) and immediately cover with a tight lid. Steam for 6 to 7 minutes until the water is gone and the wrappers look translucent.
Step 9
Uncover and let the dumplings fry for 1 to 2 more minutes until the bottoms are crisp again and the water has fully evaporated.
Step 10
Slide the dumplings onto a plate crispy-side up. Repeat the frying and steaming with the second batch, adding the remaining oil.
Step 11
Pour the black vinegar into a small dish for dipping and serve the dumplings hot.
Tips from the test kitchen
- Stirring the filling in one direction until sticky is what keeps the pork juicy - do not skip it.
- Keep unused wrappers under a damp towel so they do not dry out and crack.
- Uncooked pleated dumplings freeze well on a tray, then bag them and cook straight from frozen with 2 extra minutes of steaming.
