Of all the dumplings available, this classic pork and chive ingredient pairing has to be one of the most traditional types you’ll find in their originating country: China. For good reason, of course. They’re incredibly tasty! And while you may be quivering from the thought of making pork and chive dumplings from scratch, the truth is, it’s not all that difficult. Sure, it may take a little bit of time. But you’ll quickly realize that all the effort was worth it when you bite into these moist and juicy babies! So, without further ado, here’s how you can make homemade pork and chive dumplings.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup lukewarm water
- 1 egg white
For the filling:
- 1½ pounds cabbage, cored and finely chopped
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 3½ teaspoons salt
- 1 pound fatty ground pork
- ¼ cup finely chopped scallions
- ¼ cup chopped garlic chives
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoons garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation of pork and chive dumplings
Step 1: Dumpling wrapper
- Start with making the dumpling wrappers. To begin, 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.
- Move the dough to a flour-dusted work surface and knead it. You can continue dusting with more flour to keep it from sticking. Keep kneading until it is smooth to the touch, with no cracks or pockets of unmixed flour.
- Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Knead the dough until it forms a firm ball. Cut it into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log, then cut it into 6 equal pieces (a total of 24 pieces). Flatten the pieces, and roll each one into a 3-to-4 inch round wrapper. Cover the dough with a moistened towel as you work to keep it from drying out.
Step 2: Dumpling filling
- Mix the cabbage, onion, and salt in a fine-mesh colander. Let stand for 10 minutes before squeezing the mixture dry.
- Transfer the dried cabbage-onion mix to a large bowl and add the pork, scallions, chives, egg, cornstarch, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and pepper. Mix everything well. If you don’t mind, use your hands; it’s the best way to incorporate all the ingredients into the meat without making the pieces of meat too small.
- Cover and refrigerate the filling until it’s nice and cold (a few hours).
Step 3: Bring it all together
When you’re ready, spoon the filling into your wrappers. Then, cook the dumplings with your preferred way of preparing dumplings – be it boiling, steaming, or even pan-frying. Whatever option you go with will be delicious for sure.
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