Pot Stickers

I have made these quite a few times and I love them.  I find the repetition of filling and folding them is soothing, and they taste amazing!  They would not be complete without the soy-vinegar dipping sauce, which you see in the photo above.

The filling is primarily composed of ground pork and blanched bok choy.  For the first time ever, I ground the pork myself, using the meat grinder attachment that came free with my KitchenAid mixer.  I love this thing!  I'm going to look for more ways to use it, including to make my own sausages some time in the near future. 

Recipe adapted from The Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

makes about 25-30 pot stickers

1 quart water

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 lb bok choy, cut into 1/2" pieces (stalks and leaves separated)

1/2 lb lean pork, ground

1 finely sliced green onion

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 tsp Chinese rice wine

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 medium egg, beaten

2 tsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch

pinch freshly ground white pepper

25-30 pot sticker wrappers

2 tbsp peanut oil

cold water

To blanch the bok choy, place the water, salt, and baking soda in a pot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. 

Add the bok choy stalks, stir, and cook for 1 minute.  

Add the leaves, stir, and cook for another minute. 

Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.

Squeeze in a towel to remove excess water.

Combine the bok choy, pork, and remaining ingredients (through white pepper) and mix well.
To assemble: spread about 1 1/2 tsp of filling in the center of a wrapper.
Dip your finger in water and trace around the outside of the circle.
Fold the wrapper in half, containing the filling inside.
Pleat the edge to seal.
To pan-fry: heat 2 tbsp peanut oil in a large frying pan over high heat until very hot.

Place the pot stickers in the pan, touching lightly.

Cook for 3 minutes, then pour 1/2 cup of cold water into the skillet and cover.

Cook until the water evaporates.

Lower the heat and continue to fry until the dumplings are lightly browned on the bottom and nearly translucent on top.

Shake the pan while cooking so they do not stick.

Remove and drain on paper towels, then repeat with remaining dumplings.

Serve with rice vinegar and soy sauce mixed in a one-to-one ratio.