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In these days where we are all amateur food photographers and critics, it’s easy to overlook less photogenic dishes. But sometimes the humblest looking food is the most delicious. That’s why I love David Chang’s show, Ugly Delicious, and I think this Curried Eggplant and read more
Potstickers. Dumplings. Gyoza. Fried wontons. Whatever you call them, a crispy wrapper stuffed with a savory filling is a universally popular snack. While typically considered a starter, I have certainly seen plenty of people order multiple servings and enjoy them as a meal. No judgment! We have made literally thousands of them in my restaurant kitchens, and now I want to share my recipe for pork gyoza. The recipe yields dozens and freezes beautifully. They can be cooked right from the freezer, meaning you can have authentic pork gyoza in minutes, whenever you want! I can tell you from experience these make a great late night Netflix and chill snack…
First we will make the filling. This is a very simple, straightforward process. You will begin by removing the core from the cabbage, and cutting it into quarters. You will only need one quarter for the pork gyoza, so save the leftover cabbage for Asian Pear Pomegranate Salad. Using the pulse button on your food processor, finely chop the cabbage. (Using the pulse button prevents the cabbage from being puréed into mush.) Put the chopped cabbage into a large bowl.
Next we add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, pork, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chives, salt, and pepper. This is not the time to use lean meat. Use the highest fat percentage ground meat you can find- that fat is going to keep your pork gyoza nice and juicy. As for the chives, if I have them on hand I prefer to use Chinese chives. They have a sharper flavor, sturdier texture, and a longer shelf life. If you don’t have access to Chinese chives, the chives you find in most American grocery stores will work just fine. If I don’t have either on hand, I sub the dark green part of scallions, which are abundant and available year round.
Now you need to turn all these ingredients into a smooth filling. The best way to do this is to actually smack the filling against the bowl as you’re mixing it. You will need to mix and smack against the bowl for 2-3 minutes, until you can see that all of the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed into a nice tacky paste.
Next take a spoonful of the filling, and fry it in a pan and taste it to see if you want to add any more seasoning. Once you stuff your gyozas, it’s too late to adjust the seasoning. (This is a good trick to remember for any meat mix that you cannot taste raw, such as meatloaf. You definitely want to know that it tastes great before you start baking it.)
Once you know your filling is absolutely delicious, it’s time to stuff and seal your gyozas. Having sealed so many gyozas in my lifetime, the muscle memory is so strong I can do this in my sleep. But if this is your first time, there is a bit of a learning curve. Don’t worry though, even misshapen potstickers are still delicious. Just call them “rustic” and serve with pride.
To start, whisk the egg with a teaspoon of water. You will use this mixture to brush on half the gyoza wrapper to help it seal shut. Place a tablespoon of the filling on your wrapper. Then hold it in one hand while pleating and sealing the dough with your other hand. It’s actually better to slightly overfill than under fill as you want to have a nice plump dumpling. However, the key is to stuff them with the same amount of filling, so you do not run the risk of having some potstickers overcooked and others raw.
It can seem like a lot of work making homemade gyoza. This is why it’s typically a communal project. A group can make fast work of it while laughing and sharing some time together. Chinese families make potstickers for special occasions because the shape of the potstickers is reminiscent of old coins and symbolizes wealth. My Japanese family just did it when we had extra hands available. Whatever your reason, gather your tribe because no store bought bag of dumplings will ever compare!
This recipe makes about 70 gyoza. Set aside the ones you want to devour immediately. Place the rest on a baking sheet, in a single layer with space around each one, and freeze. Once they are frozen solid, you can put them in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer. Cook them directly from the freezer and add a couple more minutes of cooking time; if you let them defrost, the moisture will turn them into a gooey mess.
Making the sauce is as easy as just stirring together all the ingredients. If you have any leftover, it’s delicious poured on salads or as a sauce for simple fried items.
The last step it to pan fry the gyoza. This is the time when a nonstick or well seasoned pan really comes in handy. Heat the oil, and then carefully lower the gyoza into the pan in one layer. Don’t over crowd; we want them to fry and crisp, not steam! Cook for a couple minutes, and then check one to see if it’s browned on the bottom. If it is, add the water and cover the pan. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, to cook the filling through. Then remove the lid and give it a couple minutes more to let the bottoms get nice and crispy.
Serve immediately with the sauce. Be prepared for them to go quickly!
If you make our Pork Gyoza we want to know! Leave a comment, tag us in your pics (even of your ‘rustic’ ones) @funkyasiankitchen– show us the goods!
Authentic Japanese Gyoza and dipping sauce.
Potsticker Sauce:
Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
* You can freeze the dumplings if you are not planning on eating all of them. Arrange the dumplings on the tray so they are not touching one another. Freeze the dumplings for 6-8 hours until they are frozen solid. Bang the tray on the counter a couple of times to help loosen them. Transfer the dumplings into storage bags or air tight containers. You can cook the dumplings straight from the freezer. Do not defrost them or you will have a wet gooey mess.
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When we designed the first menu for our pan-Asian restaurant, my husband and I wanted to showcase the breadth of Asian cuisine. We wanted to go beyond the classics that everyone expects. So we rather cheekily wrote “oops, no fried rice!” on the front of our menu. But the truth is, I LOVE fried rice! Especially pork fried rice! It takes the most humble of ingredients and turns out a complete meal in no time. I also love that this is a pantry meal that uses leftovers, perfect for quarantine cooking! Fried rice may be a simple dish, but a few steps will help you turn out perfect Pork Fried Rice every time.
Leftover rice is the key to perfect fried rice. Whenever I make rice, I make more than I need and store it in the fridge. That way, I make rice once but get two meals out of it. Refrigerated rice will last up to a week. And it works out perfectly because cold rice makes the best fried rice. Cold rice hardens and separates. It won’t absorb as much oil, and it will make those nice crispy bits, whereas warm rice will soak up all the oil and be mushy and clumpy.
Speaking of oil, this is the time to reach for a neutral oil. Because a neutral oil won’t add an overpowering flavor, it allows the flavors of the pork, rice, and veggies to shine. Neutral oils can be vegetable, soybean, sunflower, grapeseed, or avocado. Any one of these will work just fine.
This recipe calls for a pork with some sweetness. My Char Sui Pork is perfect for this. Fair warning though, make extra because I’ve never had any left over from a single batch! You could also use Lap Cheong, or Chinese sausage. It has the perfect sweet edge, and a nice smokiness. Similarly, you could get creative and use some sweet ham, bbq pork, or something else you have on hand. Just make sure to cut your pork into nice, bite-sized cubes.
I add spinach to my Pork Fried Rice, but this is a great dish to use up some veggies lying around. Beansprouts, peas, shiitakes, or even corn would be welcome additions here.
This is one of those recipes that cooks so quickly that you need to prep your ingredients beforehand. Slice the scallions, chop the chile pepper, and measure out the other ingredients. That way once your pan is hot, you can add the ingredients one by one and briefly stir fry.
Once everything is hot and thoroughly mixed together, I like to serve this family style on a platter or in a big bowl.
Try frying up my perfect fried eggs to serve on top, instead of scrambling them into the rice. Serve your fried rice in individual bowls with a fried egg perched on top. The yolk will make a luxurious sauce when mixed into the rice, and every bite will have delicious flavors and textures.
I also like to put out jars of ground white pepper and chili sauce so everyone can customize their bowls.
If you make it, we want to know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag us in your photos, @funkyasiankitchen. Show us the goods!
Print
Perfect Pork Fried Rice!
¾ lb of Chinese BBQ Pork Tenderloin, (Char Sui)*
2 tablespoons neutral oil
2 large eggs, lightly scrambled
5 scallions, sliced thin and divided
1 red or green chile, seeded and chopped
4 cups cooked long grain rice
2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 cups spinach (about 2 oz)
*You can sub Chinese sausage, or even American ham or BBQ pork, preferably something with a little sweetness.
Hi there!
I’m Kazu, a restaurateur in Miami who wants to show you all of the best tricks for creating restaurant quality Asian meals at home.
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