How to make potstickers with pork and veggies

Potstickers, dumplings, mandu... whatever you call them, they're easy to make, pillowy, crispy, and freezer-friendly for quick meals.

How to make potstickers.

You're welcome to use almost any ground meat/vegetable mixture you like for these potstickers. Regardless of what you choose, the ratio should be at least 2:1 grated vegetables to ground meat. Personally I prefer a 3:1 ratio of grated vegetables to ground meat.

This is important because the vegetables help create a softer filling. When you have too much meat with not enough veggies, you end up with a meatball in the middle of your dumpling.

To start, grate all of your vegetables (this recipe uses cabbage, scallions, and carrots). Once all of the veggies have been grated, sprinkle a very large pinch of fine sea salt into the vegetables.

Let the salted vegetables sit, at room temperature, for at least 30 minutes. Resting the veggies beforehand will help to extract the excess water.

Next, grab a separate bowl or sheet pan. After the grated vegetables has sweat, remove the vegetables by the handful, squeezing to release the extra liquid, placing the squeezed veggies into the new bowl. Repeat until all of the vegetables have been transferred. Discard the excess liquid.

Then, mix the ground meat and seasonings into the vegetables. I do not add any additional salt because I like to dip my potstickers into soy sauce.

Fold them up.

Set up your station with a small bowl of water, the wrappers, and meat mixture. Use a spoon or small melon baller to scoop a tablespoon of filling into the center of the dumpling.

Next, dip your finger in water to wet the outer rim of the wrapper. After, fold the potsticker in half to create the classic half-moon shape. Seal them by pinching the ends together.

Finish the dumplings by gently pushing down on the center to break up the filling. This will help the center not turn into a meatball when cooking.

Freezing these potstickers.

Lay the finished dumplings onto a baking sheet in a single layer to freeze without sticking. Once they are frozen, transfer to a labeled freezer zip-lock bag.

*Honestly, I would skip pleating the edges. You can't even tell once they are fried. Plus, it takes twice as long to make the finished product.*

Cook me.

To cook these potstickers, heat up a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Place the frozen potstickers into the hot pan and brown both sides.

While the potstickers are browning, mix together approximately a quarter cup of water with a teaspoon of cornstarch and a large pinch of sesame seeds. We want enough water to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer of liquid, so adjust depending on the size of your pan.

After all sides of the dumplings have browned, pour in the cornstarch water and cover to let steam. Let the dumplings continue to cook for another 3 - 5 minutes, then remove the lid to allow the excess water evaporate.

The water will cook off and leave the cornstarch and sesame seeds. The cornstarch with begin to brown and crisp, creating little webs at the bottom of your pan.

When the cornstarch has become crispy, remove the pork potstickers from the pan and serve with a 2:1 mixture of soy sauce and apple cider vinegar.

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