Pork Gyoza: Japanese Dumplings

Not only is the liquid in the cabbage a bit salty, it can leak out or make your dumplings soupy after cooking if there is too much. You want your gyoza to be tender not soup.

Salting the cabbage pulls moisture from the surface of the slaw through diffusion. This also tenderizes the cabbage so it isn’t crunchy and unpleasant after cooking. If you decide not to use Napa cabbage, waxier/thicker types of cabbage will need a longer rest time after salting.

Absolutely you can. Most of the time I buy wrappers. They are a little thicker than fresh dumpling wrappers, but they are still great. And, the ease of just opening a package and shaping gyoza can’t be beat. Store bought wrappers are also a good way to practice before entering hard mode. Their thickness and stiffness lead to a much easier pleat.

This answer is my stroke of genius for the day. Playdough, full stop. Even if you don’t have kids and a ready supply on hand, a small jar is roughly $.50 or less. Although Playdough’s consistency is far firmer than a dumpling wrapper, it does get to the same thickness and it reacts in the same way that dough does when being rolled out. It also won’t stick to the table the way dough will.

Adding salt to the hot water and letting it dissolve, ensures that it flavors the whole dough and you won’t have just random crystals of salt here and there once it’s mixed.

YEP! I do have to say, that a thermometer is the only definitive way to tell that your dumplings have cooked through. An instant-read thermometer is a kitchen hero and a must have IMO. While you are waiting on your thermometer, here is a tip to help you. Use a toothpick to poke a small hole through the dumpling wrapper and into the filling. If the gyoza oozes at all when you remove it, it isn’t done cooking yet. If it comes out clean and nothing bubbles up, it’s cooked all the way.

Simple answer? Cornstarch. Long-ish answer? Mix about 1tsp of cornstarch into the gyoza steaming water before it goes into the pan. The cornstarch mixture will bubble and crisp during the second pan fry creating a nice skirt around the gyoza.

You are going to want to mush the garlic into a paste. To do that, either finely slice or mince your garlic and then use the back of your knife to smear the garlic against your cutting board until all you have left is a pile-o-paste.

Increase garlic to 3 cloves and use scallions (green onions). You will need about 4-5 large stalks (finely sliced, it should be about 1c or 35g worth) Scallions have a stronger flavor that sticks around much more when cooked, so you won’t need as much by volume. Don’t worry, the flavors are different, but scallions will still make a delicious gyoza.

I know this ingredient isn’t typical of a Japanese dipping sauce, as it is a Chinese cooking wine, but it has such a lovely flavor and it really compliments and livens up the sauce. To recreate something similar with Japanese ingredients and ingredients you should be able to find at your local supermarket, use 1 tablespoon (15ml) rice wine vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon (7.5ml) mirin.

Traditionally these dipping sauces are just soy, vinegar, and chili or sesame oil. Cooking the chili flakes in oil makes a chili oil, but you can skip this step if you want to use pre-made chili oil. The garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds can also be left out of the mix if you don’t want them. I recommend keeping the scallions, because they make the dip so yummy.

This dough recipe makes between 32-40 wrappers depending on the size of each piece, so break up the dough as evenly as you can, somewhere in that range. If you can weigh out 13g pieces you will have about 32. If you use my preference of 10g, then you have 42.

To roll out a wrapper, take a 10-13g piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Then give it press down with the palm of your hand to flatten and spread it a little bit. Gently pinch the top of the flattened disc and use a small roller to roll to the middle and then, with slightly more pressure, from the middle outward towards you. Don’t pick up the roller, its only job is to roll back and forth. Lift the dough and give it a quarter-turn (90 degrees) every roll forward and back. Continue rolling towards you with gentle pressure every quarter turn until the dough is rolled out into a thin, even circle roughly 3.5in (9cm).

Keep flour or cornstarch on hand to prevent sticking and use it as needed on both the roller and the wrapper. Wrappers don’t need to the perfect circles. Remember, you’ll get better with practice.