Lamb Dumplings (羊肉饺子 Yang Rou Jiao Zi)

Step 1

In a small bowl, immerse 1 teaspoon of red Sichuan peppercorn in 1/4 cup of hot water for at least 5 minutes. Filter out the red Sichuan peppercorn afterwards. Peel and mince the ginger. Chop the cilantro into small pieces.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, first mix 1 lb of ground lamb meat and 2 tablespoons of the Sichuan peppercorn water together. Then add the minced ginger, chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, mixing either clockwise or counterclockwise until well mixed. Let the meat marinate a bit on the counter while preparing the daikon.

Step 3

Peel and chop the daikon into small pieces. Use a mandolin slicer or food processor to turn the daikon into small pieces. (You can also do it by hand).

Step 4

Add the chopped daikon to the large mixing bowl with the ground lamb, slowly mixing either clockwise or counterclockwise until well mixed.

Step 5

Follow steps 5-8 from my Chinese Chive dumpling post for detailed instructions on how to fold the dumplings (the pleated way) as well as the two cooking methods I normally use (the pot sticker method and the boiling method).

Step 6

With extra dumplings, follow step 10 from my Napa Cabbage dumpling post for how to freeze and store the extra dumplings for later.

Step 7

Dipping sauce: for every 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, use 2-3 tablespoons of Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar. For lamb dumplings, I especially recommend having some chopped cilantro and minced garlic added to the sauce. For a spicy kick, add a few drops of chili oil or chili sauce.