Pork Gyoza

Method12 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Bring 6 cups water and 2 teaspoons table salt to a boil in a pot large enough for both halves of the 550 g cabbage. Add the cabbage halves and cover.

   Uses 6 cups water for boiling the cabbage; cooking liquid is discarded · 2 teaspoons table salt for the cabbage water · 550 g cabbage, halved

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Boil the cabbage until a skewer passes easily through its thick stem, about 15 minutes. Lift onto a tray and let cool until safe to handle. Discard the cabbage cooking liquid.

   Boil cabbage until tender · 15 minUses Cabbage halves in salted boiling water

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Mince all the cooled cabbage into pieces no larger than 3 mm (⅛ inch). Do not squeeze out its juices; retain any juices on the chopping board for the filling.

   Uses Tender cooled cabbage

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Put all the minced cabbage and its retained chopping juices in a large bowl. Add all 130 g garlic chives, 350 g ground pork, 30 g grated ginger, 3 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil, 1½ tablespoons soy sauce and ¼ teaspoon white pepper.

   Uses Minced cooked cabbage with its juices · 130 g garlic chives, finely chopped · 350 grams ground pork · 30 g ginger, grated · 3 tablespoon oyster sauce · 1 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil · 1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce · 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Mix by hand in a circular motion until the filling is uniform, sticky and cohesive. For fuller flavour, cover and refrigerate overnight; alternatively continue straight to wrapping. Keep the raw filling refrigerated whenever you are not working with it.

   Uses Combined cabbage-pork filling ingredients

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Put the 80 wrappers under a damp towel to keep them soft, set out the prepared filling and a parchment-lined tray, and have a small bowl of water ready for sealing.

   Uses 80 gyoza wrappers, about 9 cm (3½ inches) wide · Mixed raw pork-cabbage filling · Water for moistening wrapper edges, as needed

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Take one wrapper from the covered stack. Put about 1 tablespoon prepared filling in its centre, leaving enough clear edge to seal. Moisten the rim with a little water using your fingertip.

   Uses One wrapper from the covered stack · About one tablespoon raw filling for this dumpling · Water for moistening wrapper edges, as needed

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Fold this wrapper in half over the filling, press out trapped air, then pleat and seal the top edge. Set it on the lined tray. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers, keeping shaped dumplings and unused wrappers covered with a damp towel. The number depends on filling size; use additional wrappers only if needed, and do not overfill or force a fixed dumpling count.

   Uses First filled moistened wrapper · Remaining raw filling and covered wrappers · Additional gyoza wrappers only if needed to use the filling

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Heat a nonstick 10-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. Use 1 tablespoon from the separate ¼-cup vegetable-oil allowance. Arrange one batch of shaped gyoza in a circle with two in the centre, leaving space; about 18–20 fit this pan. Keep the remaining raw dumplings refrigerated while cooking batches.

   Uses 1 tablespoon oil from the ¼-cup (4-tablespoon) allowance · Shaped raw gyoza for first pan batch

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Have the lid ready. Pour ¼ cup steaming water into this pan and cover immediately. When it boils, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil and steam for 3 minutes. This is the initial checkpoint for this fresh-gyoza pan batch; before serving, the ground-pork filling must actually reach 71°C (160°F). If needed, keep steaming with a little more water and recheck before uncovering to crisp.

    Steam EACH fresh gyoza batch · 3 minUses First raw gyoza batch in oiled pan · ¼ cup steaming water for THIS pan batch

    
11. 11

    Step 11: Once the filling is cooked through, remove the lid and raise the heat to medium-high. Let remaining water evaporate and pan-fry until the bottoms are golden brown and crisp.

    Uses Steamed cooked-through gyoza batch

    
12. 12

    Step 12: Carefully invert this cooked batch onto a plate, browned side up. Repeat steps 9–11 with the remaining shaped gyoza, using 1 tablespoon oil from the allowance and ¼ cup fresh steaming water for EACH batch; use additional oil only if more than four pan loads are needed. Serve promptly so the wrappers stay crisp. If desired, mix separate rice vinegar, soy sauce and chili sauce to taste for dipping.

    Uses First finished crisp gyoza batch · Remaining shaped raw gyoza · Remaining portion of the ¼-cup oil allowance for later pan batches · Additional vegetable oil only if the pan size requires more than four batches; 1 tablespoon per extra batch · ¼ cup water PER later fresh-gyoza pan batch · Rice vinegar for dipping, optional, to taste · Separate soy sauce for dipping, optional, to taste · Chili sauce for dipping, optional, to taste