Step 1

Make the gelatin stock (aspic). Add the pork and chicken to a medium pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Remove the meat, dump the water, rinse out the pot, and clean the meat under running water to remove any more impurities.  Place the meat back into the pot. Add all remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 3 hours checking on it periodically. Alternatively, you may use a pressure cooker to reduce the cooking time by about half. Allow the gelatin stock to slightly cool, and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the solids. Place the gelatin stock in a heat-proof glass jar and allow it to cool to room temperature before sealing and refrigerating overnight.

Step 2

Make the pork filling. Add the fresh ginger to a bowl with 3 tablespoons of hot water and allow the mixture to steep for 30 minutes or more. Discard the ginger or reserve for another use. Add the pork to the bowl of a food processor and process until the pork becomes light and almost paste-like and add it to a large mixing bowl. Add the ginger-infused water and all remaining pork filling ingredients EXCEPT the cubed gelatin stock and salt to taste. Stir the mixture well to combine the ingredients.

Step 3

Test the flavor of the pork filling. Pan-fry a small amount of filling in a lightly oiled skillet, taste it and adjust the seasonings adding salt, a little more soy, scallions, or Shaoxing, etc. if desired. Once you have the filling just right, add the cubed gelatin stock and stir to incorporate. Do not stir too vigorously, just gently enough to combine the two mixtures well. Cover and refrigerate the seasoned filling while you make the dumpling dough.

Step 4

Make the dumpling dough. Add the flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment (or to a large mixing bowl), add the warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together and you can form a ball out of it. Knead the dough (which will be stiff at first) for 12 minutes in the mixer on speed 2, or by hand for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the dough is much softer and becomes smooth.  If you feel the dough is just too hard to knead, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest 15 minutes before continuing to knead it. Once the dough is fully kneaded, cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Step 5

Roll out the dumpling wrappers. After the dough has rested, roll the dough into a log about 6-8 inches long. Cut the dough into equal pieces (about 12 grams each). Cover the dough pieces with sustainable cling film to keep them from drying out. Lightly dust a work surface or non-stick dough mat with a little flour and roll each dough piece out to about 3 inches in diameter. Dust the wrappers with cornstarch and stack them on top of one another and cover with a damp towel to keep them from drying out.

Step 6

Prepare the bamboo steamer. Line the bottoms of the steamer with fresh cabbage leaves, banana leaves, or parchment paper that has slits cut in it. If using cabbage or banana leaves brush them with vegetable oil first which keeps the dumplings from sticking.

Step 7

Fill the dumplings. Place a dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand, add a heaping tablespoon of filling and make as many pleats as you can while using your thumb to keep the filling enclosed inside of the dumpling as it’s being sealed. Do your best to get 10 to 18 total pleats. Be sure to seal the dumplings closed at the top by twisting and pinching them. Place filled dumplings into the bamboo steamer about 2 inches apart (it’s best if they’re not touching because it reduces the chance of them tearing open when removing them from the steamer. If your mixture starts to become difficult to fill, place it into the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to allow it to firm up before moving on.

Step 8

Cook the dumplings. Add enough water to a sauté pan or wok that you can steam the dumplings for 8 minutes without running out of water. Never allow the water to have contact with the dumplings while steaming. When the water is boiling, add the steamer baskets,  cover with the lid, and cook for 8 minutes. Remove the steamer basket and serve with dipping sauce (see the main post for how to safely eat soup dumplings), Enjoy!