Pork and Woju Dumplings
Silky handmade dumplings packed with juicy ground pork and blanched asparagus lettuce leaves. The greens lend a delicate sweetness and tender texture that balances the rich meat perfectly.
Story
These dumplings showcase the often-overlooked woju (asparagus lettuce) leaves. Blanched quickly to preserve their vibrant color and subtle bitterness, they add moisture and a silky texture to the filling. The dough is simple but requires a brief rest to relax the gluten, making it easy to roll thin enough for delicate pleating.
Ingredients
all-purpose flour
2 cups
warm water
¾ cup
ground pork
1 pound
asparagus lettuce leaves (woju), packed
2 cups
fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon
garlic cloves, minced
2
light soy sauce
2 tablespoons
toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon
fine sea salt
½ teaspoon
ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon
Chinese black vinegar
for serving
chili oil
for serving
Instructions
1
Prepare the dough
Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Gradually pour in the warm water while stirring with chopsticks until ragged clumps form. Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead vigorously for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft, and bounces back when pressed. Shape into a ball, cover with a damp towel, and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes to relax the gluten.
2
Blanch and chop the greens
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the lettuce leaves and blanch for exactly 30 seconds until they turn bright green and wilt slightly. Immediately plunge the leaves into a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking and preserve their color. Drain thoroughly, then squeeze the leaves firmly in your hands to extract as much liquid as possible; reserve this liquid. Roughly chop the squeezed leaves into fine pieces.
3
Mix the filling
In a spacious mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, minced ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. Using chopsticks or a sturdy spoon, stir the mixture in one direction only for 3 to 4 minutes until it becomes tacky and pale, indicating the proteins have developed a bind. Add roughly one-third of the chopped lettuce along with a tablespoon of the reserved lettuce liquid; mix until fully incorporated. Fold in the remaining lettuce, adding more reserved liquid if the mixture feels stiff; the filling should be moist but not wet.
4
Roll and fill the dumplings
Divide the rested dough into four equal portions. Roll one portion into a rope about 1 inch thick, keeping the others covered. Cut the rope into 12 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, flatten it into a disk with your palm, then use a small rolling pin to roll it into a thin circle about 3 inches in diameter, thicker in the center and thinner at the edges. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center, fold the wrapper in half to form a half-moon, and pinch the edges firmly to seal. Create pleats along the curved edge if desired, pressing out any air pockets. Place finished dumplings on a lightly floured tray and cover with a towel to prevent drying.
5
Boil the dumplings
Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil over high heat. Gently slide in 12 to 15 dumplings, stirring carefully with the back of a spoon to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. When the water returns to a boil, pour in half a cup of cold water to calm the boil; repeat this process once more when the water boils again. The dumplings are fully cooked when they float to the surface, look slightly translucent, and feel firm to the touch, typically 6 to 8 minutes total. Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out, allowing excess water to drain back into the pot.
6
Serve
Arrange the hot dumplings on a warmed platter or individual plates. Serve immediately with small bowls of Chinese black vinegar and chili oil on the side for dipping. For a traditional presentation, mix a few drops of chili oil into the vinegar before dunking the dumplings.
