Potstickers - How to Make Crispy Pan Fried Pork Dumplings!

Who doesn't like a good dumpling? They're so comforting and simple yet hearty enough to make a meal (alongside some greens, of course). For some reason I've always thought of potstickers as a form of Americanized Chinese food since the only true memories I have are the ones that come frozen (or from a certain panda fast food chain lol). But delving deeper into the world of dumplings galore, maybe you're just as surprised as I was to learn that these juicy meat filled creations have been apart of Chinese culture since the dawn of the century. Rather than resisting what I typically associated with as Chinese "fast food", I've embraced the whole process and now have a deep appreciation for the grandmas who expertly pleat their dumplings like a thing of beauty. They make it look too easy yet mine could never hold a candle in terms of aesthetics. Luckily, the flavor of my potstickers were "on point" as they say which more than makes up for their appearance! Give it a shot as it's actually fun and therapeutic during crazy times like these. You won't ever regret a hot and juicy pork dumpling encased in a thin, crispy, and chewy skin!
Makes ~30-40 small potstickers.
Pork Filling:
1-1/4 lbs. ground pork (preferably 80/20 for a moist filling that's not too dry)
1/2 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3-4 scallions, minced
fresh cilantro, minced and amount to taste
2-3 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 heaping teaspoons toasted sesame oil
white or black pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover a refrigerate to firm up while you make the dumpling skin dough.
Dumpling Skin:
4 cups (520 g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon (4 g) salt
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (260 g) hot boiling water
Combine dough ingredients together in a large bowl until all the flour is moistened. Once you have a rough looking dough, dump onto the work surface and knead for ~5 min. Cover and rest for 20 min. to allow the gluten to relax and the dough becomes easier to work with. After 20 min. of resting, form dough into a log and cut into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) pieces. Roll each piece as thin as possible into a circle/oval form. Pay special attention to the edges so it is thinner as compared to the center of the dough. Fill the center with ~1/2 tablespoon of prepared pork filling. Fold in half so the edges of the dumpling skin are sealed and pleat as seen in the video.
Once your dumplings have been formed, you can freeze most of them for later use while cooking what will be eaten immediately.
Place a large skillet over medium high heat and add a couple tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, place the dumplings bottom side down to pan fry. Cook for ~2 min. or until golden brown on the bottom side. Add water about halfway up the sides of the dumplings and cover to steam. Cook for an additional 15 min. or until dumpling skins are slightly more translucent and the water has evaporated. You may need to add more water as needed during cooking if it evaporates BEFORE the 15 min. is up.
Plate, eat hot, and enjoy with a side of black vinegar and chili oil! Enjoy!
SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW RECIPES EVERY SATURDAY!
WANT MORE DIM SUM? CHECK OUT THE PLAYLIST HERE!
• Woo Kok Crispy Taro Pu...
SOCIAL MEDIA:
inshannonskitchen
inshannonskitchen
DON'T FORGET TO TAG ME IN YOUR CREATIONS :)

[@OurLifeGrowingOld]

Love potstickers! Those look great! I am going to make these. You make it look easy. Thanks

[@InShannonsKitchen]

Me too! Enjoy!

[@TheTravelerfromPhilippines]

wow! I love pork Dumpling.

[@InShannonsKitchen]

Me too! Thanks for subscribing! :)

[@ssadvweld1]

A few potstickers and a vodka martini used to be my favorite meal.

[@InShannonsKitchen]

Ha! What a combination! 😆 Hope you’re doing well, Stephanie.