I have never met a potsticker I didn’t like. There I said it. Potstickers are the gateway to a very dangerous Chinese food habit… which I sometimes admit to having. I’m one of THOSE people. You know that one character in the movie that gets dumped by their significant other and drowns their sorrows with 10 takeout boxes of chicken fried rice, wine, and sad black and white romance movies?? Yeah, that’s me, usually on a Sunday, when I order copious amounts of Chinese delivery. Except, I haven’t been dumped. And I’m not particularly sad…Sooo… my excuse is basically…nothing. Just think of how many lonely fortune cookies there would be in the world if it wasn’t for people like me. With all of those carefully thought out fortunes like the one I got that read, “It is better to have a hen tomorrow than an egg today.” GASP! HOW DO I GET A HEN TOMORROW!?!?!?! ALL I HAVE IS EGGS!!!!! I AM DOOMED!!!!!!!!! Who would spend hours contemplating their fortune cookie fate if it wasn’t for people like me? I see you nodding. “She’s right!!” “She’s giving those fortune cookies a better life!” And just like that I have gone from zero to hero!
Back to potstickers. In Chinese potstickers are called guotie, which literally translates to “wok stick.” According to potsticker legend (there are books on this stuff, I tell ya!), potstickers date back to the Song dynasty (960 – 1280 A.D.) when they were invented by a chef in China’s Imperial Court. The chef accidentally burnt a batch of dumplings after leaving them on the stove for too long allowing all of the water to boil away and the bottoms of the dumplings to burn. The chef did not have time to prepare a new batch, so he served them as they were and called them his own special creation. And Surprise : THE PEOPLE OF CHINA’S IMPERIAL COURT LOVED THEM! I don’t blame them. Potstickers were the hottest things to hit 1280 AD. Say it with me now : “WE HAVE NEVER MET A POTSTICKER WE DIDNT LIKE!” Perfect. You are ready. Let’s get folding.
Hold Me Closer Tiny Dumplings {Perfect Pork Potstickers}
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup green cabbage, finely chopped
- 1 pound ground pork, do not get lean pork
- 3 ounces shiitake mushrooms, diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 lightly beaten egg
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 30 wonton wrappers
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Sprinkle cabbage with the 1/2 tablespoon of salt and let stand for 30 minutes. Place the cabbage on a clean dishtowel and squeeze out any water.
- In a large bowl combine pork, cabbage, mushrooms, garlic, green onions, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, egg, and pepper.
- To assemble the pot sticks, spoon 1 tablespoon of the pork mixture into the center of each wrapper. Using your finger, rub the edges of the wrappers with water. Fold the dough over the filling to create and pinch the edges to seal. For these particular pot stickers I used a press which you can find on Amazon.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium heat. Add potstickers in a single layer and cook until golden and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side.
8