{"id":36583,"date":"2023-10-19T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/?p=36583"},"modified":"2023-10-18T16:02:34","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T20:02:34","slug":"pork-and-chive-dumplings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/pork-and-chive-dumplings\/","title":{"rendered":"Pork and Chive Dumplings (\u732a\u8089\u97ed\u83dc\u6c34\u997a)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Pork and chive dumplings are one of the most popular types of dumplings in Northern China. The filling is made with juicy pork, bursting with an intense savory flavor of garlic chives, and boiled until tender and hearty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pork<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Growing up in Beijing, pork and chive dumplings are one of the most popular types, along with pork and napa cabbage dumplings<\/a> and three treasures dumplings<\/a> (pork, mushroom and shrimp).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are traditionally eaten during the Lunar New Year to bring good luck and wealth. Many believe that the more dumplings you eat, the wealthier you will become. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for our family, making dumplings is also a special weekend activity we enjoy from time to time. My parents would start the dough in the morning, making dumpling wrappers from scratch, and fill them with the delicious pork and chive filling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019d always boil these dumplings, since boiling makes for a tender wrapper and juicy filling. But you can also pan fry or steam them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The freshly boiled dumplings are so good that I would always eat a few plates of them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boiled<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients for Pork and Chive Dumplings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What are Garlic Chives?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Garlic chives are one of the main ingredients in the filling of the pork and chive dumplings. They are different from the regular chives you may find in an American grocery store. Garlic chives have flat leaves, are solid rather than hollow, and have a very strong garlic flavor. Many Chinese dishes use this potent herb to add a fresh, garlicky taste at the end of the recipe. You should be able to find garlic chives easily at any Asian market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What type of dumpling wrappers to use?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to use the right type of dumpling wrappers for these boiled pork and chive dumplings. If you use wrappers intended for other dumpling styles (steamed, fried, etc.) the dumplings may fall apart during boiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Shanghai style (as shown in the photo) and Northern style will work well. The Chinese character \u6c34 (water) on the package means that the wrappers are suitable for boiled dumplings. For some reason, no similar indication is given in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boiled<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dried papery shrimp<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dried papery shrimp (\u867e\u76ae, Xia Pi) are tiny dried shrimp that are a bit salty and full of seafood flavor. They\u2019re commonly used in pork and chive dumplings to further enhance the umami. Note, this type of dried shrimp is very small and does not require rehydration before using. You can easily find them at Chinese markets, but you can also skip them if you don\u2019t have them on hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternatively, you can also use fresh shrimp to replace some of the ground pork.\u00a0 For example, using 1\/2 lb fresh shrimp and 1\/2 lb of ground pork will make a very good filling. My parents especially like this method for special occasions, since shrimp is usually a bit pricey and special.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"papery<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mise en place<\/h3>\n\n\n\n