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Easy Pork Dumplings Recipe
Why try pork dumplings?
Pork dumplings, sometimes also called pork gyoza, are a delicious and fun dish to make and eat. Steamed or pan-fried, these savoury parcels are filled with seasoned pork mince and finely shredded, tender cabbage and typically served with soy sauce. Perfect for a light lunch on their own or as part of a multi-course meal, these dumplings are ideal for any occasion. Our pork dumpling recipe combines top-quality pork mince from Grange Meat Co. with a blend of simple, fresh and flavourful ingredients. Easy to prepare and irresistibly moreish, pork dumplings is a meal that everyone will enjoy.
Selecting the right ingredients
While a little fiddly to assemble, the success of your pork dumplings is not so much about their aesthetics. Instead, it largely relies on the quality of the ingredients used. For the best results, start with premium pork mince from Grange Meat Co. Here's what else you'll need to create a delicious batch of dumplings at home:
- Pork mince: Opt for lean pork mince from Grange Meat Co., known for its rich flavour, this is the foundation for the dish.
- Fresh garlic and ginger: These add depth of flavour to your pork mince mixture.
- Wombok cabbage: Featuring finer and more tender leaves than other varieties, this cabbage is ideal for use in pork dumplings.
- Gow Gee pastry rounds: Available pre-made, these are also known as dumpling or gyoza wrappers and are the perfect size and shape for any pork gyoza recipe.
- Sugar: Essential for seasoning, sugar balances the salty elements and helps to bring out the pork's rich flavour.
- Soy sauce: Added to the mince mixture and served as a dipping sauce, a high-quality soy sauce is essential to completing the dish and enjoying it at its best. Chilli soy also works well for those who enjoy a little spice.
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 55g (3/4 cup) wombok cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 tbsp water
- 250g pork mince
- 2 shallots, trimmed, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 24 gow gee dumpling/gyoza wrappers
- 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil, extra
- 160ml (2/3 cup) water, extra
- Chilli soy or regular soy sauce to serve
Here’s how to create delicious pork dumplings at home:
- Make dumpling filling
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Fry the ginger and garlic, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add cabbage and water. Cook together, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until the cabbage wilts and reduces down.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool slightly. Once cooled sufficiently, stir in the pork mince, sliced shallot, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil.
- Assemble pork dumplings
Place 1 Gow Gee wrapper on a clean work surface. Put 2 small teaspoonfuls of the pork and cabbage mixture in the centre of the wrapper. Be careful not to overfill as this will make it harder to seal your dumplings or may cause them to break open during cooking.
Gently brush the perimeter of the wrapper with a small amount of water, using the tip of a clean finger dipped in a shallow bowl of water works well. With the pastry edges still damp, fold the sides of the dumpling together to enclose the filling. Then simply press or pinch the edges together to seal firmly.
Once done, place on a tray lined with non-stick baking paper and then repeat with remaining wrappers and pork mixture until all wrappers and mince are used.
- Steam or pan-fry dumplings
For steamed dumplings:
Line the base of a large steamer basket with baking paper, then place the dumplings in a single layer on top of the paper. Pour water into a wok until one-quarter full and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, slightly reduce the heat and gently place the steamer over the water in the wok, ensuring the base is not immersed. Steam dumplings for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender and cooked through.
For pan-fried dumplings:
Cooking dumplings in two batches, heat half of the extra vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook the first batch of gyozas for 2 minutes or until their sides are golden. Add half the extra water. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until cooked and liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a serving platter. Cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil, second batch of gyoza and water.
- Serve
Serve immediately with chilli sauce or soy sauce. Enjoy!
Tips for authentic-tasting pork dumplings
- Use freshly grated ginger and garlic for peak flavour.
- Cook dumplings as soon as possible after assembly to ensure the wrapper doesn’t dry out.
- To avoid split dumplings, ensure you never overload the wrapper with the filling.
How should I cook pork dumplings?
Pork dumplings can be cooked either steamed or fried and depends on personal preference. Steamed dumplings will produce a light and soft dumpling, whereas pan-frying the dumplings produces a caramelised crispy edge on the dumpling wrapper. Why not mix it up and steam half of the batch and pan-fry the remainder of the dumplings to experience both textures.
