Pan Fried Pork Gyoza

02 August 2015

(Serves 4)

Sometimes I really miss the California atmosphere. It used to be I could just hop to an Asian supermarket on a whim and pick up whatever I needed for something I felt like making that night but that has all changed since moving out of state. Currently a trip to a decent Asian grocery store is about 1.5 hours away! Needless to say, every trip involves heavy planning, list making and options of what to make in case what I need for a particular dish is not available in stock. So on this last run I decided on making gyoza as one of my dishes. It embodies two types of food I really love, fried and dumplings! This past Fourth of July trip home, I think I made over 500 pieces of gyoza with a variety of fillings per my sister’s request. There are so many different variations of fillings you can use but I find that pork is usually a favorite.

Gyoza is a little more time consuming to make but the result makes it all worth it to me. Plus, I do enjoy making each tiny dumpling; it is like doing origami with food! (I should mention that origami is also sort of a side hobby for me.) A crunchy yet chewy skin on the outside containing a steamy soft meaty center, accompanied by a dipping sauce made solely to compliment its flavor; it’s hard to have just one or two or three…

Usually when I make this dish I make a triple or quadruple batch so I can freeze for later. You just need to lay the gyoza in a single layer on a flat surface and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes to harden the skin and then slide it into a freezer ziplock bag for storage. Do not defrost the frozen gyoza, place it frozen in the pan and follow the cooking steps below. The cooking time will increase slightly due to it’s frozen state but the taste and texture should be intact. Oh, I also forgot to mention that this dish makes for a great cooking party. There’s plenty of time for everyone to gather around and chit-chat while some make the filling and others fold these little delicious dumplings. You’ll forget how time flies and your guest will be thrilled with each pocket of delight!

1 lb ground pork	1. Mix well.
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp msg (optional)
1 tbsp mirin
4 tsps light color soy sauce
1 tbsp sake
1 tsp sesame oil
5 tbsps scallion, chopped	2. Combine into the filling mixture until the cornstarch disappears and everything is thoroughly incorporated.
1/4 oz ginger, grated
1 tsp cornstarch
1 package of gyoza wrapper (45-50 wraps)	3. Place about 1/2 tbsp of the filling into the center of the wrapper and wet the outer edge with water. Fold the wrap into a half moon shape, sealing it closed by pressing the sides together. 4. Fold the excess dough into a fan shape by off setting the folds and pinching it tight to hold the shape.
Water
1/2 cup water	5. In a large non-stick pan pour in water and oil. 6. Place the gyoza into the pan (ensure to not over pack the pan). 7. Cover and turn to high heat until the water boils then lower to medium high heat cooking for about 5 minutes until the skin becomes transparent. 8. Decrease to medium heat, uncover to let all the water evaporate and the gyoza to brown. 9. Lay the gyoza on each side for a few minutes to crisp the skin. 10. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
2 tsps vegetable oil

Gyoza Dipping Sauce
3 tbsps low sodium soy sauce	1. Stir together and serve.
3 tbsps rice vinegar
2 tbsps mirin
2 tsps seaseme oil
Chili flakes as needed