Pork and Cabbage Dim Sum Filling
(Chinese filling for buns, potstickers and dumplings)
Image by stu_spivak
This recipe makes a good, all-purpose filling for Chinese dim sum, including bao, siu mai, and potstickers. Make up a large batch and have a dim sum-making party with family or friends. The filling also freezes well.
Makes about 3 cups of filling
Ingredients
- Green cabbage -- 6 to 8 whole leaves
- Ground pork -- 1 pound
- Scallions, minced -- 4
- Garlic, minced -- 3 or 4 cloves
- Fresh ginger root, minced -- 2 tablespoons
- Soy sauce -- 2 tablespoons
- Sugar -- 2 teaspoons
- Sesame oil -- 1 tablespoon
- Salt and pepper -- to season
- Cornstarch -- 2 tablespoons
- Water -- about 1/4 cup
Method
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage leaves and blanch them for about 1 minute. Remove them from the water, drain and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, chop the cabbage finely.
- In a large bowl, mix the chopped cabbage with the remaining ingredients to make a smooth, light paste.
- Form a little patty of the filling and fry or microwave it to test its flavor. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Store the filling in the refrigerator until you are ready to put together your dim sum.
Dim Sum Filling Variations
- Pork Substitutions: Use ground chicken or turkey instead of the pork. Or substitute 1/2 pound of chopped raw shrimp for half of the pork to give a pleasant seafood flavor to the filling.
- Greens: Try using spinach, Chinese mustard greens or bok choy instead of cabbage. You can skip the blanching step if using spinach.
- Add 1 beaten egg to the mixture to make a sturdier filling.
