Description
These Pork Chive Dumplings are a delicious Asian-inspired dish featuring a flavorful ground pork filling infused with aromatic spices and fresh garlic chives. The dumplings are prepared with an infused oil made with Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and garlic, adding depth and complexity to the flavor. Served steamed or pan-fried, these dumplings are perfect for a comforting meal or appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
Infused Oil
- ¼ cup neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 star anise
- 5 cloves garlic
Liquid Puree
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (chopped)
- ⅓ cup scallion (roughly chopped)
Filling and Dumplings
- 1 pound ground pork (80/20 meat to fat ratio)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon salt (½ teaspoon used)
- 2 cups Chinese garlic chives (finely chopped)
- 1–2 packs store-bought dumpling wrappers
Instructions
- Prepare infused oil: In a small saucepan, combine the neutral oil with Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and garlic cloves. Heat gently over medium-low heat to infuse the oil without burning the spices and garlic. Once fragrant, remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Make liquid puree: In a blender or food processor, combine water, chopped ginger, and roughly chopped scallions. Blend until smooth to create a flavorful liquid base that will add moisture and aroma to the filling.
- Prepare pork filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the ground pork with oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, five-spice powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly to evenly distribute the seasonings.
- Incorporate liquid and infused oil: Add the liquid puree and infused oil into the pork mixture gradually, folding it in gently until the filling achieves a smooth and sticky texture. This ensures a juicy and tender dumpling center.
- Add garlic chives: Fold the finely chopped Chinese garlic chives into the pork filling evenly. The chives add a fresh, garlicky punch that complements the pork perfectly.
- Assemble dumplings: Lay out dumpling wrappers on a clean surface. Spoon a small amount of filling (about one tablespoon) into the center of each wrapper. Moisten the edges with water, then fold and pleat to seal the dumplings tightly to prevent any filling from leaking during cooking.
- Cook dumplings: Dumplings can be steamed or pan-fried. For steaming, place dumplings in a bamboo or metal steamer lined with cabbage leaves to prevent sticking; steam over boiling water for 8-10 minutes until filling is cooked through. For pan-frying, heat a non-stick skillet with a bit of oil, add dumplings, fry until bottoms are golden, add a splash of water, cover, and steam in the skillet until water evaporates and dumplings are fully cooked.
- Serve: Serve the dumplings hot, accompanied by dipping sauce such as soy sauce mixed with a bit of vinegar and chili oil if desired for extra flavor.
Notes
- Use ground pork with an 80/20 lean to fat ratio for juicy and flavorful filling.
- Adjust the amount of salt and soy sauce according to your taste and dietary needs.
- Make sure to seal dumplings well to avoid filling leakage during cooking.
- Dumplings can be frozen before cooking; just separate them with parchment paper and store in an airtight container.
- You can substitute Chinese garlic chives with regular chives if unavailable, but the flavor will be slightly different.
- Both steaming and pan-frying methods work well; steaming keeps dumplings tender, pan-frying adds a crispy texture to the base.
Keywords: pork dumplings, Chinese dumplings, chive dumplings, Sichuan peppercorn oil, dumpling wrappers, Asian appetizer