Pork Cabbage Dumplings

Dumpling Wrapper Dough

1. Mix & knead flour with 1 1/3 cup water in a bowl. Pour ~1/3 cup water first and mix flour. Repeat this step 3 times

2. Knead the mixture for ~5 minutes or until it becomes a smooth dough.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit while you make the filling.

   

Filling

1. Pour the Sichuan pepper corns and star anise petal in a small bowl with 3 tbsp of boiled water and leave for 15-20 minutes.

   

2. Wash the Napa cabbage leaves, place in a bowl, and sprinkle with salt. This will help to dry the leaves out so your filling isn't too watery. Leave it to dehydrate while you get the rest of the filling ready.

3. Mince the ginger - if you like the taste of ginger, bigger pieces will give a nice kick.

   

4. Wash and chop up the green onion.

5. Mix the pork, ginger, egg, light & dark soy sauces, and salt together.

   

6. Add in ONLY the water from your bowl of Sichuan pepper corns (you can use a small lid to make pouring easier).

7. Chop up the cabbage - make a cut halfway lengthwise, chop each half into strips, then chop the strips up into smaller pieces.

8. Stack 3-4 layers of paper towel, then press on the cabbage to squeez more juice out.

9. Add the cabbage and olive oil to your filling mix. Stir the ingredients in circles until they are mixed well.

10. Add the green onion and sesame oil to your filling mix. Stir the ingredients until they are mixed well.

Make the Dumplings!

1. If your dough is sticky, add more flour until it feels dry.

2. Sprinkle a thin layer of flour on the board

3. Take half of the dumpling dough and stretch it into a long strand of dough.

   

4. Cut the strand into smaller pieces by slicing a piece off, turning the strand 90 degrees, slicing another piece off, then turning it back.

5. Sprinkle some flour over your pieces, then flatten them. Don't worry if they're misshapen - it just means your dumplings have character 👯‍♀️.

   

6. Use a rolling pin to roll out each piece of dough. You'll do this by holding each piece such that your thumb is on top in the center of the dough piece. Roll out the edges up to your thumb while turning the dough. This ensures the center of your dumpling wrapper is strong and can hold the filling.

7. Place the wrapper in your hand, and in the center of each wrapper, add a spoonful of filling.

   

8. Treat it like a mini taco, fold up the sides, and pinch the wrapper together on one side on each end.

   

9. Then, crinkle-fold the other side such that you have nice folds.

   

10. When you're about halfway done, boil a pot of water (~6 quart)

11. Once you have finished wrapping dumplings and the pot is boiling, add in half the dumplings. Use a wooden spatula to stir them around gently and slowly so that they don't stick to the bottom of the pot.

12. Then cover the pot with a lid.

13. When the pot boils again, add in 1/3 cup of cold water.

14. Wait for the water to boil, then add in another 1/3 cup of water. Do not cover the pot at this time.

15. Wait for the water to boil one more time, and add in your final 1/3 cup of water. Do not cover the pot at this time.

16. Once the water boils again, use a colander spoon to strain the dumplings out of the pot and enjoy with light soy sauce or vinegar!