Potstickers (鍋貼)

Note: This recipe has been updated!

As promised, No Free Lunch is celebrating the beginning of the year of the Dragon with a Chinese classic. These aren't the greasy, overcooked dumplings you get at your local Chinese buffet. Guotie, which actually does translate to "potstickers," are another food that brings me back to dinners at Grandpa's house when I was little. We sometimes ate these in the same meal as the famous macaroni casserole.

I did consult Grandpa before making these, and discovered there isn't a set recipe, just pork and some kind of vegetable for the filling. They keep very well frozen, and Grandpa and Grandma sometimes make them by the hundred. They also make their own wrappers, which I can tell you makes the best dumplings. I use wrappers from the grocery store here; let's learn to walk before we run. This recipe makes about 75 dumplings.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground pork
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1 large egg
• Salt and pepper
• Potsticker wrappers
• Vegetable oil

Instructions

First, make sure you have the right wrappers. Potsticker wrappers are round and slightly thicker than the square wonton wrappers. You can likely find both types of wrappers in the freezer section of your grocery store.

To prepare the filling, combine pork, green onions, chives, and egg in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper liberally (2 pounds is a lot of meat). Mix well. Prepare a large surface to make the dumplings. We'll need a small bowl of water and something to put the dumplings on - I use a large, non-stick sheet pan. I also enjoyed a bottle of beer while doing this, but that's up to you.

For each dumpling, use a fork to place a little of the meat mixture in the center of the wrapper. You'll soon get a feel for how much to put in. Too much, and the you will have trouble folding the wrapper. Too little, and the pocket you form won't be filled. Next, dip your finger in the water and wet the edge all around the circular wrapper. Fold it over, forming a half-moon, and squeeze around to seal. The last step is to fold the edge back on itself 2-3 times at the top of the dumpling. This forms a natural "bottom" so the dumpling can stand up. As you complete each dumpling, line them up on the sheet pan so that they don't touch. If you aren't going to eat all the dumplings today, slide the entire pan into the freezer. Once the dumplings harden, you can safely transfer them to a plastic bag without risk of them sticking together.

To cook the potstickers, make sure to use a non-stick skillet. I have previously written about how every great dish is preceded by failure. Trust me, use non-stick here. Add a little oil to the pan, then a little water, and heat on medium-high. The key here is to get the right dumpling to water ratio. Don't be tempted to add too much water, or the dumplings will become soggy. Just enough to cover the bottom, about 1/8 inch. 

Once the oil/water is hot, place dumplings in the pan. You can put them close together, even touching. This will also ensure you don't have too much water. Cover the pan immediately. As the dumplings steam, they will absorb the water, leaving only the oil in the pan. Cook until the bottoms are nicely browned and crispy. Once the water is absorbed, you can uncover and periodically lift up one to check the bottoms. If you prefer, you can also boil the dumplings for a different texture; these are known as shuijiao - water dumplings. Potstickers are usually served with a soy and vinegar sauce.