Woks of Life Pork, Mushroom & Cabbage Dumplings (Zhūròu Xiānggū Báicài Jiǎozi)

This recipe for jiǎozi is adapted from The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family — one of Cooks Without Borders’ Best New Cookbooks of 2022. Serve the steamed dumplings with a dipping sauce, like the “Ultimate Dipping Sauce” from the book below, or chile crisp — or even salsa macha.

READ: “Cookbooks We Love: ‘The Woks of Life’ brims with outstanding Chinese and Chinese American recipes”

These dumplings may be frozen before steaming, or this recipe may be cut in half to make fewer dumplings. Find more visual aids (including video) about how to fold a dumpling at The Woks of Life — the fabulous website that preceded the book. Want a simpler dipping sauce than the one included with the recipe? Stir together 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup soy sauce, a tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of sesame oil.

Makes about 72 (6 dozen) dumplings.

Ingredients

For the Filling

10 medium dried shiitake mushrooms

1 pound napa cabbage

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil

1 pound ground pork

¼ cup Shaoxing wine

1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

½ teaspoon white pepper powder

For Assembly and Serving

 2 (14-ounce) packages round Shanghai-style dumpling wrappers (about 40 wrappers depending on brand)

Ultimate Dipping Sauce (recipe below) or a simpler dipping sauce, and/or chile crisp, for serving

Instructions

1. Make the filling: Place the mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with two cups of hot water. Soak for 2 hours (or overnight), until fully rehydrated. Reserve ½ cup of the soaking liquid (leaving behind any sediment at the bottom of the bowl. Trim and discard tough stems from the mushrooms, then finely chop them.

2. Slice the cabbage leaves lengthwise into thin strips, then finely chop them crosswise. Place in a large bowl and stir in the salt. Set aside for 30 minutes (no more) to allow the salt to draw the water out of the cabbage.

3. Heat the neutral oil in a wok or medium skiillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until they are softened and just beginning to crisp around the edges. Let the mushrooms cool.

4. To a large bowl, add the pork, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, ginger, sugar, sesame oil and white pepper. Add the ½ cup mushroom soaking water and stir vigorously with a pair of chopsticks or a wooden spoon for 10 to 15 minutes, until it forms a cohesive paste.

5. Squeeze the napa cabbage dry, then add to the bowl with the pork, along with the mushrooms. Stir for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the cabbage and mushrooms are incorporated into the filling.

6. Assemble the dumplings: Line two sheet pans with parchment. Have a small bowl of water handy nearby. Holding a dumpling wrapper in your hand, dampen the edges with some water. Put 1 scant tablespoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper and fold the circle in half, then pinch the wrapper together at one end. Make pleats on one side of the wrapper, sealing the dumpling as you go, until you reach the other end. Press the pleats together at the top and use a little more water, if necessary, behind the pleats to make sure the dumpling is completely sealed.

7. Place the dumpling on a sheet pan, then repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling, ensuring the dumplings are not touching each other on the sheet pan. After assembly, they must be immediately cooked or frozen. To freeze, place on a smaller parchment-line sheet pan or plate (don’t let dumplings touch) until frozen, then transfer to a sealed zipper bag for storage. 

8. To steam the dumplings: Line a bamboo steamer with perforated parchment, damp cheesecloth or thin cabbage leaves. Place the dumplings in the steamer basket ½ to 1 inch apart. Fill the wok with enough water to come ½ inch up the sides of the steamer. Bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Place the covered steamer in the wok and steam the dumplings for 8 minutes (or 10 minutes for frozen dumplings).

Woks of Life Ultimate Dipping Sauce

Makes about ¼ cup.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 scallion, white part only, finely chopped

Chile crisp or chile oil (optional)

Instructions

In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in 1 tablespoon hot water. Add the soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil and scallion. Mix in a little chile crisp or chile oil (if using) to taste.