Chinese Pork And Shrimp Dumplings
INGREDIENTS
  • 1.25 lb boneless pork chops or loin
  • ¼ lb bay shrimp or other small shrimp
  • 1/3 cup dried shiitake mushroom slices, rehydrated
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sake
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp oyster sauce
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 25 wonton wrappers
  • Parchment paper
DIRECTIONS
  1. Grind or finely chop the pork. I use my Kitchen Aid food grinder attachment, but a food processor also works well.
  2. Mince the shrimp and shiitake. Stir together the meats. Add the soy, sake, sesame oil, oyster sauce, pepper, ginger, and sugar, and stir to combine.
  3. Pull out 25 wonton wrappers from the package and cover them with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out as you work.
  4. Fill each wrapper with a heaping tablespoon of the meat filling. Wet the edges of the wrapper and bring each of the four corners in towards the center of the dumpling and squeeze the sides together, forming a sort of star shaped purse.
  5. Place each dumpling on a little square of parchment paper that is just big enough for the dumpling to sit on. Cover the completed dumplings with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. If desired, refrigerate, covered, until you are ready to cook them (no more than a few hours).
  6. When ready to cook, place a steamer rack or basket into a large wok or pan and add water to about half an inch below the bottom of the rack. Cover with a lid and bring to a gentle boil.
  7. Add dumplings to the rack, being careful to keep it balanced. Do not overcrowd the rack, or the dumplings will stick together. Cover and steam for 10 minutes. Remove to a serving plate and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
RECIPE BACKSTORY
These are vaguely sui mai like dim sum. The shape isn't right, and the flavor isn't quite right either, but they were still quite good.