Homemade Pork Chive Dumplings

Prepare Filling

1. In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients as listed above and mix in one direction with chopsticks or a fork. Mix very well until the meat is broken down and pasty. Cover and set aside.

Make Dumpling Wrappers (or substitute with store-bought wrappers)

1. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk flour and salt together. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and then pour hot boiling water into it. Then whisk together until it forms a clumpy ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, sprinkle a few more tablespoons of flour over top and knead it into a evenly shaped ball until it's no longer sticky. There's no need to proof the dough.
2. Next evenly flour a clean working surface and transfer the kneaded dough ball on it. Then pierce a hole into the middle of the dough ball. Then shape it into a very loose circular "hoop". The hoop should be 1.5 inches thick.
3. Then cut the "hoop" or dough in half to form two long logs.
4. Next slice the logs into 1 inch wide pieces or until you have 50 equal sized pieces.
5. Roll each piece into a little dough ball. Cover the little balls of dough with a clean warm towel so they don't dry out.
6. Then re-flour the working surface and roll out one dough ball at a time with a rolling pin into a thin wrapper that is 3-inches wide in diameter. Place the wrappers on parchment paper in a single layer and cover.

Assemble Dumplings

1. Next place 1 levelled off tablespoon of the pork filling in the center of the wrapper. Do not over fill. Lightly dab cold water on the edges of the wrapper.
2. Then fold one side of the wrapper over the filling to create a semi-circle. Seal the edges together, pinch and fold the edge to form a classic dumpling shape.

Choose ONE dumpling cooking method below:

1. To Pan Fry: Next heat 1 tablespoon or 15 ml vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Place dumplings flat bottom side down. Fry dumplings in small batches, about 12-14 pieces per batch. Pour just enough cold water to cover the base of the pan. Then cover with a lid and cook for 12-13 minutes. In the last minute, remove the lid and let any excess water evaporate so the bottoms of the dumplings can crisp up until golden brown.To Boil: Bring a pot of water to boil on medium-high heat. Then lower the dumplings in small batches, about 12-14 pieces per batch. Reduce to medium heat and boil until they float, about 6-8 minutes. Strain out the dumplings with a slotted spoon and serve.To Deep Fry: Heat 2 cups or 500 ml of vegetable oil or any neutral oil in a large pan on medium heat, around 350 F with a digital instant read thermometer. Once the oil is hot enough, fry dumplings in small batches (about 5-6 pieces per batch) until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Cooked pork dumplings have an internal temperature of 145 F with a digital instant read thermometer. Strain the fried dumplings out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil.
2. Lastly, enjoy hot dumplings with dumpling sauce or chili oil.