Much of the time, when I was a kid, my Aunt Debbie and Uncle Roger lived in Hong Kong. I always waited for her semi-annual visits with excited anticipation because, in addition to spending time with one of my favorite and most scarce relatives, they were always accompanied bits of Chinese culture. Along with things like lucky money, a Hello Kitty pencil case, or a children’s Chinese dictionary, Aunt Deb always brought back new recipes for us to try. Unsurprisingly, the thing I always looked most forward to was the food.

This recipe comes from that time. My family has been making these Chinese pork dumplings since the late 80s. I remember sitting at the kitchen counter in our old house in Huntington, NY, asking my mom to cook them “with sneakers,” which meant they would have telltale marks from the steamer instead of being thrown in the frying pan. My mom and I made small additions and changes over the years, finally writing down our “final recipe” sometime in the mid-90s. To me, this is the real deal. 

There are some recipes that I hold close to my heart. I’ve kept them to myself - not out of selfishness, but out of a desire to keep my family close to me. These dumplings hit my soul like my Grandma Leonard’s chicken soup or Grandma Crowley’s meatballs.  The last thing I’d want is some internet stranger finding some way to invalidate some of the most important things in my life. To leave these recipes vulnerable to criticism… I couldn’t stand the thought.

But these are strange times. Critics be damned, we could all use a surplus of comfort. So I hope this is the first of many offerings from my family’s kitchen to yours. Make them in good health.

Chinese Pork Dumplings

1 lb ground pork (you can also use chicken)
6 scallions, chopped finely
1/2 in. fresh ginger root, grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 egg
1 cup chopped boy choy or napa cabbage (reserve outer leaves)
1 package of wonton wrappers

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the pork, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper and egg - this is most easily done with clean hands, but using an electric stand mixer also works well.

2. Fold in the cabbage until the mixture is more or less uniform.

At this point you can either begin wrapping the dumplings, or you can freeze the mixture for later use. These keep very well in the freezer, but I do suggest keeping the wontons and meat separately (ie. deconstructed) to avoid freezer burn.

To wrap the dumplings, have ready your wontons, a small bowl of water, two teaspoons, and a plate or cutting board.

3. On a clean surface, lay a wonton wrapper down flat so that it is oriented like a diamond. Lightly use a fingertip dipped in water to dampen the edges. 

Place a scant teaspoon of filling in the center of the dumpling.

Make the first fold from the top corner to the bottom corner and seal. You should now be looking at a downward facing triangle that contains the dumpling filling.

Use a little more water to dampen the top two corners of the triangle and pinch them together. The end result should look like a little coin purse.

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4. To steam the dumplings, fill a shallow pan with water. Line your steamer with the outer leaves from the bok choy before adding the dumplings in a single layer (this prevents them from sticking). Heat the water to a simmer, cover, and cook for ~7 minutes until the wrappers and meat are cooked through.

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5. Serve dumplings with sauce:
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp rice wine
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper

To fry the dumplings, heat peanut oil in a shallow pan over medium heat. Add the dumplings once the oil spits when a drop of water is applied. Brown on one side and then the other, careful not to burn. Drain on a paper towel before serving.

The dumplings can also be boiled. I like to use chicken stock. Just toss them in the boiling stock or water until they float to the top (again, about 7 minutes).

In addition to eating these dim-sum style, they are great for wonton soup!