Pork and Chive Dumplings (猪肉韭菜饺子) — Boiled Jiaozi with Juicy Pork and Garlic Chives

• 400 gall-purpose flour
• 2 gfine sea salt
• 210 mlcool water
• 20 gcornstarch (for dusting the wrappers)
• 450 gground pork shoulder (about 20 percent fat for a juicy filling)
• 250 gChinese garlic chives (washed, dried very well, and finely chopped)
• 30 mllight soy sauce
• 15 mlShaoxing wine
• 10 mltoasted sesame oil
• 1 inchfresh ginger (peeled and finely grated)
• 4 ggranulated sugar
• 1 gground white pepper
• 3 lwater
• 60 mlChinese black vinegar (preferably Chinkiang vinegar)
• 10 mlchili oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough by mixing the flour and 2 g salt in a large bowl, then drizzle in 210 ml cool water while stirring with chopsticks or a fork. Knead until a rough dough forms, cover it, rest for 15 minutes, then knead again for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.

2. 2

   Cover the dough tightly and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling. This rest hydrates the flour fully and makes the dough easier to roll into thin wrappers without tearing.

3. 3

   Combine the ground pork, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, 60 ml cool water, grated ginger, 4 g salt, sugar, and white pepper in a mixing bowl. Stir firmly in one direction for 3 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky, glossy, and slightly springy.

4. 4

   Fold the chopped garlic chives into the pork mixture only after the pork has become sticky. Mix gently for 30 seconds so the chives remain fresh and do not release too much liquid before wrapping.

5. 5

   Divide the rested dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a rope about 2.5 cm thick. Cut the ropes into 40 equal pieces, dust lightly with cornstarch, and keep the pieces covered so they do not dry out.

6. 6

   Flatten one dough piece with your palm and roll it into a round wrapper about 8 to 9 cm wide, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edge. Repeat as you work, rolling only a few wrappers at a time so they stay soft and easy to seal.

7. 7

   Place about 18 g filling in the center of one wrapper and fold it into a half-moon. Press the edges firmly to seal, adding pleats if desired, and set the dumpling on a cornstarch-dusted tray while you finish the remaining dumplings.

8. 8

   Bring 3 l water and 2 g salt to a rolling boil in a wide pot, then add the dumplings in batches without crowding. Stir gently from the bottom for the first 20 seconds so the dumplings do not stick to the pot.

9. 9

   When the water returns to a boil, add 200 ml cool water, then let it return to a boil again. Repeat this cold-water addition 2 more times, using 600 ml total, until the wrappers look slightly translucent and the pork filling reaches 71 C in the center.

10. 10

    Lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon and drain them briefly before serving. Mix the black vinegar, 15 ml soy sauce, and chili oil in a small bowl, then serve the dumplings hot with the dipping sauce.