Pork & Ginger Pot Stickers

Peel off the outer leaves from the cabbage. Slice the head in half and remove the core (see photos below). Cut each half into two then cut crosswise as thinly as possible. You need a very small shred to make the pot stickers easy to fill and fold.

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp of oil over medium/high heat. When it's hot, add the cabbage and 1/2 tsp of salt. Saute the cabbage until it is translucent and soft (about 15 minutes). Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

While the cabbage is sauteing (stir every minute or so), combine the raw ground pork, peeled and grated ginger (use a small cheese grater), minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sliced green onion an shredded carrot. Mix them all together well with your hands. Add the shredded and cooked cabbage and mix again until it is evenly incorporated (you almost have to use your hands here). Refrigerate the mixture for at least one hour to let the flavors blend. (The cabbage will release gasses as it refrigerates and smell pretty stinky when you come back to it but don't be afraid. It's still good and the smell will go away when you cook the pot stickers.)

Prepare your workspace by getting a small dish of water (used to glue the edges together), something to fold the pot stickers on (I used a cutting board) and something to keep them on once folded (another cutting board or large plate). I used square wrappers so the wrapping technique below is based on that. There are many methods to folding pot stickers/won tons so if you have a different shape, simply do a google search for "folding won tons" or "folding pot stickers" to see more methods.

To make things easier, fill and fold the wontons in groups. I filled and folded three then moved on to the next group. Take three won ton wrappers and lay them on your surface. Using your finger, wet all the way around the edge of the wrapper. Place about 1 tsp of pork filling in the center of each square. Fold the square over diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner. Press down all along the seam to make the wet edges stick. Squeeze out all of the air in the process.

Take the two points of the triangle that are furthest from each other and wrap them around front and pinch together (use a bit more water to glue it together). The pot sticker is now folded! Fold the rest in the same manner. Once all of the pot stickers are folded, you can either cook all of them or freeze some on a cookie sheet. Once they are completely frozen solid, transfer them to an air tight freezer bag for storage. You can take them out and cook them as usual at a later date!

In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water and 3 bouillon cubes to a boil. Once it reaches a hard boil, drop in about half of the pot stickers. Boil them until they begin to float (about 7 minutes) then transfer to a cooling rack to drain. Place a baking sheet under the cooling rack to catch any water that drips off.

Once the pot stickers are done boiling and have drained for a minute or two they are ready to fry. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium/high heat. Spray it generously with non-stick spray. Using a non-stick pan with non-stick spray is the easiest way to make the pot stickers crispy without having them stick, tear and use a ton of oil. Pan fry the pot stickers on each side until golden brown and crispy (2-3 min on each side).

Serve immediately with your favorite asian sauce (soy, oyster, teriyaki, sweet chili… anything goes!).