Pork and Dill Dumplings

Soy Broth, Dried Shrimp, Zha Cai, Sesame Seeds, Mushroom, Garlic, Green Onion, Cilantro, and Chili Oil

Chef Eric "Chops" Wat of Lao Peng You | Chicago

Adapted by StarChefs | September 2021

INGREDIENTS:

Infused Oil:
Caiziyou
Green onions, chopped
Red onions, chopped
Ginger
Star anise
Cinnamon
Fennel
Brown peppercorns

Garlic Ginger Water:
Garlic, rough-chopped
Ginger, smashed

Ground Pork:
Niman Ranch pork butt

Dumpling Filling:
(Note: Percentages are made according to the weigh of Ground Pork)
0.05% baking soda
2% salt
1.5% tiánmiànjiàng
0.5% light soy sauce
0.1% white pepper
0.1% monosodium glutamate
10% chicken stock
0.2% sesame oil
25% salted, chopped, and squeezed cabbage
8% plucked and chopped dill

To Assemble and Serve:
Dumpling wrappers
Soy broth
Dried shrimp
Cilantro
Zha cai
Wood ear mushrooms
Sesame seeds
Garlic
Green onions
Chile oil

METHOD:

For the Infused Oil:
In caiziyou, fry onions and ginger until brown but not burnt. Remove the fried bits and set aside. Soak star anise, cinnamon, fennel, and brown peppercorn in water for 10 minutes, strain, then add to onion-ginger oil. Fry slowly until all moisture is gone and the oil is clear again. Remove spices and let cool.

For the Garlic Ginger Water:
In a nonreactive container. combine all ingredients. Cover with boiling water and let it sit for 10 minutes. 

For the Ground Pork:
Using a knife, separate pork butt meat from fat cap. Pluck out and discard the gross gland and much of the stringy fat and veins running through the cut. Weigh the lean meat and fat cap separately, adding or removing in order to maintain a 4:1 ratio, lean meat to fat. Using a chilled meat grinder, grind lean meat and fat separately.

For the Dumpling Filling:
In a container, dissolve baking soda in 3% Garlic Ginger Water. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add Ground Pork meat and salt. Mix in tiánmiànjiàng, soy sauce, white pepper, and MSG followed by the  Garlic Ginger Water mixture. Add chicken stock in stages, gradually mixing to incorporate. Mix to combine Ground Pork fat until the filling looks light, stringy, and bouncy. Mix in sesame oil and 2% Infused Oil, making the filling nice, shiny, and pretty. Finally, add cabbage and dill; mix well.

To Assemble and Serve:
Fill each dumpling wrapper with a small spoonful of Dumpling Filling. Fold over and seal dumplings. Steam until pork is cooked through. Serve dumplings in a warm soy broth cooked with dried shrimp, cilantro, zha cai, and wood ear mushrooms. Garnish with sesame, garlic, green onion, and chile oil.

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