Pork Pot Stickers
My potsticker recipe consists of fresh ground pork with cabbage and seasonings wrapped in a light dough and cooked until golden brown. My recipe is an easy way to make this classic at home.
When I want Asian food, I make it at home, instead of getting carry-out or going to our local Chinese restaurant. My husband Dale says that I have ruined restaurant Chinese food for him. Every time we have Chinese take out, he says it isn’t as good as what I make, and of course, I agree lol.
You can find many of my Favorite “make at home” Chinese recipes on this blog, like Kung Poa Chicken, Crab Rangoon, and my absolute favorite, Shrimp Toast. 
Potstickers are pork and cabbage-filled dumplings that are folded into a crescent shape. They require two cooking styles. First, they are pan-fried and then steamed to create a crispy outside and a tender outside.
I like to make a large batch and flash freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, the potstickers can be stored in a freezer bag for up to two months.
Heed my warning, once you make my potstickers, you might never order them from a restaurant again, or as my husband says, they will ruin ordinary dumplings for good. Enjoy!
Pork Pot Stickers
These Savory dumplings are delicious and much better than those from your local take out joint.
Ingredients
Dough
- 12 1/2 ounces AP flour
- 1 cup boiling water
Filling
- 5 cups cabbage 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces ground pork
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus 2 tablespoons for pan-frying (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 4 scallions, chopped fine
- chili oil (for dipping)
Instructions
Dough
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place flour in a food processor. With the processor running, add boiling water.
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continue to process until dough forms ball and clears sides of the bowl, 30 to 45 seconds longer.
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transfer dough to counter and knead until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
Filling
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In a clean food processer, pulse cabbage until finely chopped, 8 to 10 pulses
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transfer cabbage to a medium bowl and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt; let sit for 10 minutes.
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using your hands, squeeze excess moisture from cabbage. Transfer cabbage to a small bowl and set aside.
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pulse pork, soy sauce, sesame oil, one tablespoon vegetable oil, rice wine, hoisin, ginger, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a now-empty food processor blended and slightly sticky, about ten pulses.
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scatter cabbage over pork mixture. Add scallions and pulse until vegetables are evenly distributed, about eight pulses.
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transfer pork mixture to a small bowl and, using a rubber spatula, smooth surface. Cover with plastic and refrigerate.
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line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Dust lightly with flour and set aside.
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unwrap dough and transfer to counter. Roll dough into a 12-inch cylinder and cut the cylinder into four equal pieces. Set 3 pieces aside and cover with plastic.
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roll the remaining piece into an 8-inch cylinder. Cut the cylinder in half and cut each half into five equal pieces. Place dough pieces on one cut side on a lightly floured counter and lightly dust with flour. Using the palm of your hand, press each dough piece into a 2-inch disk. Cover disks with a damp towel.
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roll one disk into three 1/2-inch rounds (wrappers needn't be perfectly round) and re-cover the disk with a damp towel. Repeat with remaining disks. (Do not overlap disks.)
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using a rubber spatula, mark filling with a cross to divide into four equal portions. Transfer one portion to a small bowl and refrigerate the remaining filling.
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Working with one wrapper at a time (keep remaining wrappers covered), place scant 1 tablespoon filling in the center of the wrapper.
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Brush away any flour clinging to the surface of the wrapper. Lift the side of the wrapper closest to you and the side farthest away and pinch together to form a 1 1/2-inch-wide seam in the center of the dumpling. (When viewed from above, the dumpling will have a rectangular shape with rounded open ends.)
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Lift left corner farthest away from you and brought to the center of the seam. Pinch to seal. Pinch together the remaining dough on the left side to seal.
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Repeat pinching on the right side. Gently press dumpling into a crescent shape and transfer to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling in a bowl.
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Repeat the dumpling-making process with the remaining three pieces of dough and the remaining three portions filling.
To Pan Fry
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brush 12-inch nonstick skillet with one tablespoon vegetable oil. Evenly space 16 dumplings, flat sides down, around the edge of skillet, and place four in the center. Cook over medium heat until bottoms begin to turn spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
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off heat, carefully add ½ cup water (water will sputter). Return skillet to heat and bring water to boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 6 minutes.
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uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until water has evaporated and bottoms of dumplings are crispy and browned 1 to 3 minutes.
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transfer dumplings to a platter, crispy sides up. (To cook the second batch of dumplings, let the skillet cool for 10 minutes. Rinse skillet under cool water and wipe dry with paper towels. Repeat the cooking process with one tablespoon of vegetable oil and remaining dumplings.)
To Boil
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bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 20 dumplings, a few at a time, stirring gently to prevent them from sticking.
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return to simmer, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain a simmer. Cook dumplings for 7 minutes. Drain well.
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serve dumplings hot, passing chili oil and extra soy sauce separately for Dipping.
How to make ahead
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freeze uncooked dumplings on a rimmed baking sheet until solid. Transfer to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. To pan-fry, increase water to 2/3 cup and cover cooking time to 8 minutes. To boil, increase cooking time to 8 minutes.