Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings
A Chinese dinner built around ground pork and napa cabbage — on the table in 75 minutes.
✓ USDA-verified nutrition data
463 calories
36g protein
47g carbs
14g fat
2g fiber
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground pork
- 0.5 head Napa cabbage
- 32 Dumpling wrappers
- 4 Scallions
- 1 tbsp Fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
Steps
- Salt the finely chopped napa cabbage and let it sit 15 minutes, then squeeze it absolutely dry in a towel. Wet cabbage is the number one cause of dumplings that burst — water turns to steam and blows the seams.
- Mix the pork with the cabbage, minced scallions, grated ginger, soy, wine, sesame oil, and white pepper. Stir in one direction only until the mixture turns tacky and holds together — this develops the myosin, which is what makes the filling juicy instead of crumbly.
- Hold a wrapper in your palm, spoon in a scant tablespoon of filling, and wet the edge with water. Pleat one side 5 to 6 times, pressing each pleat to the flat side to seal. Your first ten will be ugly; your last ten will be beautiful. Both taste the same.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Arrange the dumplings flat-side down with a little space between them and fry 2 minutes until the bottoms are golden.
- Pour in 1/2 cup of water and clamp the lid on immediately — stand back from the steam. Cook 6 to 7 minutes until the water evaporates, then uncover and fry 1 more minute to re-crisp the bottoms.
- Slide onto a plate and serve with black vinegar and a few drops of chili oil. Listen for the sizzle when they hit the plate; that crisp bottom is the whole reward.