Pillows Of Love

So, my butcher, who I have been getting my naturally raised meat from for some time now, has mysteriously closed its doors. I went there one weekend and there was a "for lease" sign up. Needless to say I was very upset by this unexpected blockade to my faithful meat shop. Since then, I have been having a hard time finding hormone, by-product and antibiotic free meat. Here in Canada, A&P/Dominion has just started selling this type of meat. They don't have a very good variety, I suppose because the demand is low.

I will get to the point. I used to make gyozas with ground chicken meat, but I cannot buy it anymore. I don't have a meat grinder and the store doesn't sell it. So I used pork this time, and they were very good! My next try is with shrimp, which I heard is very good! I think the traditional ingredients in these dumplings include napa cabbage, but I am such a carnivore that I omitted it.

There is a video up on YouTube courtesy of yongfook on how to shape the dumplings. It is quite good.

PORK GYOZAS WITH CHILI DIPPING SAUCE

CHILI DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp green onion, green part only, chopped
1/2 tsp chili oil

Make dipping sauce by simmering ingredients over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside to cool.


PORK GYOZAS

1 pound ground pork
2 green onions, green and white parts, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1 package (about 40) round dumpling wrappers
Chili Dipping Sauce

Combine ground pork, onions, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce and salt. Mix well.

Place a rounded teaspoon of pork mixture in the center of the gyoza skin. Wet the edges of the skin with water on your fingertip. Fold in half to form a semi-circle. Make pleats along the edges, squeezing tight to seal and tapping the bottom on the work surface to flatten. Set aside and repeat with remaining skins.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in wok or large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place about ten gyozas in wok and pan fry until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Pour 1/4 cup stock into wok and cover with lid to steam gyozas until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside.

Heat another tbsp of oil in wok. Repeat process with another ten dumplings until all are cooked. Serve hot with dipping sauce.