Pork & Cabbage Gyoza

Imagine you want a quick snack or meal but instead of your 100th PBJ or bowl of cereal like normal. You whip out some homemade gyoza from the freezer. In less than 9 minutes, you have a crisped, but chewy gyoza bursting with an aromatic flavor. Oh, and did I mention that a plate of 10 is under 500 calories? These things are easy to make and I am absolutely addicted.

INGREDIENTS

Filling (enough for about 35-40 gyoza)

  • 454 g (1 lb) ground pork (or turkey, chicken, beef)

  • 200 g cabbage, finely sliced then diced

  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced

  • knob of ginger, grated

  • 2 large cloves of garlic, grated

  • 1 serrano, grated (optional)

  • 6 g salt

  • 3 g MSG (optional)

Other filling ideas:

  • Carrots, grated

  • Mushrooms, minced

  • Firm tofu, moisture squeezed out

  • Thai chiles

  • Onion, minced

To wrap

  • 40 to 50 Gyoza wrappers (store-bought or homemade)

  • Water for wetting edges

Dipping Sauce

  • 3 part soy sauce

  • 1 part rice vinegar

  • .5 part sesame or chili oil (optional)

  • Minced scallion (optional)

METHOD

  1. Add the chopped cabbage to a bowl with a little sprinkle of salt and mix with your hands. Let sit for 10 minutes, meanwhile prep the remaining ingredients as noted.

  2. Using a towel, wring out the excess moisture from the salted cabbage. Add the cabbage back to the bowl along with the ground pork, thinly sliced scallion, grated ginger, garlic, serrano, salt, and MSG, white pepper if using. Mix the filling vigorously with your hands until it gets sticky and kind of pasty. This will create a tight bind in the filling.

  3. Take a gyoza wrapper and add a small spoonful of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Dip your finger in water and circle the edge of the wrapper to wet it where we will now fold it.

    • Method 1: Center Fold (my preferred)

      • Fold the wrapper in half straight to the center. Use your thumb and index finger to make 3 to 4 pleats on the right side of the centerfold, pressing each pleat tightly against the back of the wrapper. Repeat the process with 3 to 4 pleats on the left side of the centerfold. With the pleating done, press the pleats to seal the gyoza. Note: The pleating is only done on one side the wrapper

    • Method 2: One direction pleat (more traditional)

      • Fold the wrapper in half without touching the other side. Use your thumb and index finger to create pleats all going in one direction. With the pleating done, press the pleats to seal the gyoza. Note: The pleating is only done on one side the wrapper

    • Method 3: The taco curl (fastest)

      • Fold the wrapper in half sealing it all around the edge. Using your thumb and index finger of both hands pinch the edge and form a v with hands then bring the base of your thumbs together to give the gyoza a slight curve.

    Repeat your preferred folding for the remaining gyoza. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

  4. To freeze, place the baking sheet of gyoza in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes until frozen through before placing it in a bag or freezer-safe container.

  5. To cook, place a thin drizzle of oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the gyoza and cook for 1-2 minutes until browned and crisp on the bottom side. Pour in some water and cover the pan with a lid. For fresh gyoza, steam for about 3 minutes for frozen 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the lid and let the cook for 1 more minute. Remove to a plate and serve with the dipping sauce.


Ethan Chlebowski