Pork and Cabbage Dumplings

​This is a hybrid recipe; we first learned how to make dumplings from a Chinese friend. We then combined it with a great filling recipe from Cook's Illustrated.
​Wrappers:
2 cups all-purpose flour
0.75-1.25 cups boiling water
0.5 tsp salt

Filling:
3 cups minced Napa cabbage (about 0.5 medium head)
0.75 tsp salt
0.75 lb ground pork
4 scallions, minced
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
4 tsp soy sauce
1.5 tsp minced or grated fresh ginger
1 medium garlic clove, minced through a garlic press
0.125 tsp pepper

Canola oil
water

Scallion dipping sauce:
0.25 c soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp water
1 scallion, sliced thin on the bias
1 tsp chili oil
For the wrappers:
Using the dough hook on a stand mixer, slowly add the boiling water in 0.25 c increments to the flour until a coherent dough forms. Let knead for several minutes. Turn out and knead until dough is smooth and supple. Place in a bowl and let stand covered with a damp towel for 1 hour. 

For the filling:
Toss the cabbage with the salt in a colander set over a large bowl. Let sit twenty minutes, then wring out the cabbage, removing as much water as possible. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours). 

To assemble:
Roll the dough into a 1" wide rope, and cut off 1" wide chunks. Roll each chunk into a ball, then use a rolling pin to flatten into a thin circle, roughly 3" in diameter. Lay the wrappers one atop another, dusting with flour between wrappers.

Place 2 teaspoons of filling on a dumpling wrapper. lightly moisten the upper edge of the wrapper with a fingertip dipped in water. Fold the bottom up to the top to form a half-moon shape. Press the edges together to seal. Make sure to gently spread the filling towards the edge as you seal, leaving no air bubbles inside the dumpling. Lay dumplings on a well floured baking sheet, without letting them touch each other. 

To cook:
Brush a tablespoon of canola oil over the bottom of a 12" nonstick pan. Place dumplings flat side down in the pan and set over medium heat. Cook without moving until the bottoms of the dumplings are golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add 0.5 c water and cover the pan immediately. Reduce heat to low and cook until most of the water is gone and the wrappers are slightly translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove the cover, increase heat to medium-high and cook until bottoms are crisp and well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip dumplings to fry the other side. 

For the next batch, let the pan cool. Wipe it out and start with a new layer of oil. 

Serve immediately with dipping sauce. 
Notes:
  • You don't have to make the wrappers if you don't want; store bought ones are perfectly fine. Look for gyoza wrappers. 
  • These also keep well frozen. Place the sheet with the uncooked dumplings in the freezer until they are frozen through, about 2 hours. Then transfer dumplings to a ziploc bag. Do not thaw before cooking. 
  • You can mix and knead the dough by hand using a wooden spoon if you like. 
  • The first few times we tried this, we used ground beef and the filling came out very dry and bland. The fattier content of the pork makes the flavors of the filling stand out much more. 
  • We also added accidentally added tablespoons of soy sauce, not teaspoons. Didn't seem to do much harm.