Recipe: Jiaozi (Chinese dumplings)

Filling:
1 lb. ground pork
Medium Chinese cabbage or Napa cabbage, chopped small
2-3 tsp. salt
1/4 c. green onion
2 Tb. cornstarch
2 Tb. soy sauce
2 ts. sesame oil
2 ts. white sugar
1 ts. pepper (black or white)

Wrappers: Pre-made round jiaozi wrappers, probably purchased from a Chinese supermarket.
(DON'T try to make your own jiaozi wrappers. Like accountants, lawyers and doctors, the people who make these are professionals, and you will only make a fool of yourself trying to do their job.)
Rice bowl of warm water.

1. Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl. Get some teaspoons for scooping.

2. Put about a teaspoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Dip finger in warm water and trace edge of wrapper, then fold in half over filling.

3. Fold edge of jiaozi wrapper so that it won't come apart.

4. Boil in large pot until done, when jiaozi floats, wrapper is slightly translucent and has adhered itself to filling inside. (Looks kind of vacuum-packed.)

4, alt. Steam in dim sum steamer until done.

4, alt. Fry in canola or sesame oil until done.


Dipping sauce may include all or some of the following:
("All" highly recommended.)

Salt
Soy sauce
Sugar
Sesame oil
Peanut oil
Canola oil
Garlic, minced or powdered
Ginger, minced or powdered
Red chili oil and/or paste
Red pepper flakes

Mix to taste in rice bowl. Add some jiaozi water from boiling pot before dipping jiaozi, initially.