Steamed Pork Dumplings
Steamed pork dumplings (shumai-style) packed with ground pork, shrimp, chinese mushrooms, scallions, and sesame oil, then steamed open-top for 30 minutes. Classic dim-sum at home.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsProper open-top steamed dumplings in the style of Cantonese dim-sum shumai. Ground pork gets combined with chopped shrimp and rehydrated Chinese dried mushrooms for that distinctive umami-forward filling, then chopped together on the board to bind it into a texture slightly finer than hamburger.
That hand-chopping step with a cleaver (or sharp knife) is what separates home-style shumai from the gummy, over-processed frozen versions. Fifteen strokes is the sweet spot. Under-chopped and it falls apart, over-chopped and it turns pasty.
The seasoning blend of sesame oil, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, salt, sugar, and cornstarch is the classic dim-sum filling formula. Cornstarch is the binder that keeps the filling juicy but sliceable when steamed.
Instead of pleating closed, these get cupped into open-topped pouches (shumai-style). Thirty minutes of steaming cooks them through while the juices concentrate inside. Freeze extras for later, they reheat with just 10 minutes of steam.
Chef Tips
- Soak Chinese dried mushrooms in hot water rather than cold. Hot water rehydrates them in half the time without losing flavor.
- Devein the shrimp carefully and chop fine. Any grit or undeveloped segments ruin the otherwise silky filling.
- Line the steamer with parchment, cabbage leaves, or napa leaves to keep the dumpling bottoms from sticking.
- Don’t crowd the steamer. Dumplings swell as they cook and stuck-together ones tear the delicate wrappers.
Variations
- Swap shrimp for diced water chestnuts for a shellfish-free vegetarian-friendly texture.
- Add a tablespoon of minced fresh ginger to the filling for more warm aromatic depth.
- Top each dumpling with a single green pea or a dot of orange tobiko for the classic dim-sum restaurant look.
Ingredients
Directions
Shell, devein, wash, and drain prawns.
Dice into bits.
Boil mushrooms in water for 10 minutes, rinse, squeeze dry, cut off and discard stems; then chop into very small pieces.
Combine the pork, mushrooms, prawns, and onion.
Put mixture on chopping board and chop 10 to 15 strokes with cleaver.
(Use a sharp knife if you don’t have a cleaver.)
Texture, when you’re finished, should be slightly finer than hamburger.
Add “seasoning” and the egg to the pork mixture.
Mix well.
To make dumpling, place 1 Tb filling in the center of a dumpling skin.
Then bring all sides of the skin up to cover the meat as much as possible, without closing.
The top of the dumpling is left open.
Cook dumplings by steaming for 30 minutes.
Use as many as you need, with the rest, cool, wrap, freeze.
Reheat after thawing by steaming 10 minutes.
Serve with soy sauce, hot sauce, or mustard.
- Dumpling skins are similar to won ton skins, except that they are round and slightly thinner.
You may substitute won ton skins by merely cutting off the corners to round off the skin.
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