Pork & Chive Pot Stickers

And I quote, "This is the absolute best thing you have ever made." 

The context:  I made these potstickers for dinner and these were the exact words Mr. Hungry used as he looked at me with the most wide eyed happy face I have seen in awhile.  I don't think there is much more I can say to tell you how good they are (oh yeah, except I absolutely loved them too) so I will go on to trying to convince you to make these.  I could literally see the loss of interest in people's faces when I told them about these little sussies and I blame that wholly on the fact that the minute you hear about something you have only had in a  restaurant, you assume it is too complicated to be on anyone's list of things to try.

Well, let me tell you that couldn't be farther from the truth.  These are so easy and more than that, they were pretty fun to put together.  I don't have any munchkins of my own, but I have a feeling kids would love to help you make these for dinner.  Kind of makes we want to have children of my own so I could have a little assembly line of dumpling makers and crank these out by the hundreds.  (Okay, before you call Child Protective Services on behalf of my future children, I'm just joking...kind of).

Previously, I found my favorite version at our local grocery store (name to remain anonymous because of the rest of this story).  The small problem is the hair that Mr. Hungry found in his last batch that we got from there so I decided I needed to come up with my own.  And I actually prefer knowing exactly what goes into these.  As Mr. Hungry explained it, he says half the joy of eating the homemade version is not having to be worried about biting into something weird.  Moral of the story... these are actually the best pot stickers I have ever had including restaurant and store bought versions and I am extra happy to avoid the mystery of what is inside. 

Pork & Chive Pot Stickers

Adapted from Everyday Food

Recipe Notes

The key to making these really tasty is to let the fry up for awhile until they are golden brown and crispy.  If you are unfamiliar with wonton wrappers, they can be found in most any grocery store in the refrigerated section.  At my grocery, they are located next to the herbs and mushrooms. 

Ingredients

1/4 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon minced chives

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons dry sherry

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

20 wonton wrappers (from a 12-ounce package)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Step by Step

 In a bowl, combine pork, chives, soy sauce, sherry, ginger, sesame oil, cornstarch, salt and 1 tablespoon water.  Place an overflowing teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wonton wrapper.  Lightly wet the out edge of the wonton wrapper and press together to seal, forming a half moon.  Place on parchment paper or wax paper to keep from sticking to the counter.  Repeat with remaining dumplings.

Cook dumplings in two batches so they do not crowd the pan.  Cook in boiling water until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon or an asian strainer.  Heat vegetable oil over medium-high.  In two batches, cook until golden brown and slightly crispy, about 2 minutes per side.  Serve with dipping sauce.

To make Dipping Sauce

In a bowl, stir together all ingredients listed above.  

To Freeze:

Prepare through the first paragraph (prepare, but do not boil) and freeze between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container.  When you are ready to make them, take them out of the freezer and continue with the steps.  You can stick them right in the boiling water in their frozen state.  Allow to cook a few extra minutes.