Vietnamese Pork & Shrimp Dumplings (Pot Stickers)

Ingredients

• 12 oz ground pork shoulder/butt
• 1/2 cup dried shrimp (soak in warm water for 5 minutes. Drain then mince)
• 3 bok choy stalks (mince; you can also substitute with 1-1/2 cups minced bamboo shoots)
• 2 green onions (mince)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 package (14 oz) pot sticker wrappers (also known as gyoza wrappers)
• 1 beaten egg to seal pot stickers
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 red Thai chili pepper (slice thin; optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare Filling: Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl.

2. 2

   Add Fillings: For each wrapper, add about two teaspoons filling.

3. 3

   Fold Wrappers: Brush edges of wrapper with the beaten egg. Fold over and pinch to seal. Feel free to do any fancy pleating here if desired.

4. 4

   Cook Pot Stickers (Option 1 - Boiling): In a medium pot, bring water to a boil and cook the pot stickers for about 5-8 minutes or until the pot stickers float to the top.

5. 5

   Cook Pot Stickers (Option 2 - Pan-fry/Steam): To pan-fry/steam the pot stickers, heat up a pan with a bit of vegetable oil (just enough to lightly coat the bottom). Brown both sides of the pot stickers. Once you have both sides golden brown, add about 2-3 tablespoons of water to the pan and cover the pan with a lid for about 5 minutes. The steam will finish the cooking. Remove lid and allow the steam to evaporate completely. Continue to pan-fry just long enough for the residual oil to crisp back up the pot stickers (about 1-2 minutes).

6. 6

   Prepare Dipping Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil and minced Thai chili. Adjust seasoning to taste.

7. 7

   Serve pot stickers hot with the dipping sauce on the side.