Steamed Beef Dumplings
My Husband spent a bit of time in China a few years back. He really loved it and he hopes to bring me there one day as well (There are so may great things I'd love to see in Asia!)
One wonderful thing he brought back with him was the knowledge about how to make steamed dumplings. We love this recipe - it is SO tasty!! But be warned, it takes a few tries to get the dumpling folding technique down. It's fun, though, especially if you like to cook or have a date who likes to cook!
Ok so let's get started. First, let's talk hardware: You'll need a steamer. Steamers come in many different shapes and sizes. We have one that is metal and circular and is a vegetable steamer. This is a poor steamer type for dumplings because they can get so easily stuck in the moving parts. There is another type of steamer we have which looks like a colander but sits inside a pot, elevated above water. If you have a steamer like this, it would work, but it's not ideal. Then there's the two teared bamboo steamer we use! We love it! And it's made specifically for projects like this. They're really not expensive and if you want to experiment with steamed dumplings, this is the way to go! (You can find them at many retailers, including Bed, Bath, and Beyond!) However if you don't have any of those, you can also boil these and they turn out well. I'll give some instructions for those of you who will boil, but if you have the option, steam all the way!
Steamed Beef Dumplings:
First you'll mix up your filling. Now you'll note that our measurements aren't exactly.... exact. Justin tends to just eyeball it so these are the measurements he gave, but again, we just eyeball it. Best to err on the side of caution, though, if you're fearful that the chili powder, for instance, will be too strong. The Soy sauce is a conservative guess as well so if you think the mixture needs more soy sauce to it, you would be safe adding a few more tablespoons. Ultimately you want the soy sauce to coat everything and bring everything together, but you don't want it to be drippy or soupy. There should be little to no soy sauce left in the bottom of the bowl, for instance, if you were to lift up all the meat (as the soy sauce is meant to absorb into the meat).
OK so mix the ground beef, chopped green onions, soy sauce, and spices in a large bowl until combined.
So here is the fun part. Get a small bowl of regular water (tap water will do, any temperature) and find a clean flat work space (preferably one with a chair). Lay down a dumpling skin, fill with about a half tablespoon of filling (you'll get a sense for how much each skin will hold so don't get too weighed down measuring things). Wet all four sides of the square skin around your dollop of meat then fold the skin over, one corner to the opposite corner, so it makes a triangle. Fold the other two corners in towards the middle so it makes a little home base pentagon shape. Pinch at the overlays to secure and you're done.
Wow ok so that was a lot of work. Now repeat that 40 more times. You'll get really fast at it. Justin is a great fan of the Assembly Line Process (as you can see in the pictures).
So once you have a good amount of those made, arrange them in your steamer so that they have some room between each dumpling. They don't expand like cookies, but if they are touching, they are nearly impossible to get unstuck and then you end up having filling falling out and it's just a mess. So let them all have their own little space. You will have to do a few batches to get to all the dumplings but that's ok!
All your dumplings are arranged, now place them in a wok or large pan with just enough water at the bottom to boil but not so much that it is touching the dumplings directly. It'll probably end up being about an inch of water. Keep a large container of water near by so you can replenish the water in the bottom of the pan as you go. Keep an eye on the water to ensure that it does not all boil away in the steaming process. Put your steamer all equiped with your uncooked dumplings in the water and get those puppies steaming. They will steam for about 3 minutes or so. Your indication that they are done is that the skins get translucent and you begin to see the filling inside a bit more. If you are uncertain, get the fattest one on top you can find and cut it open, it should be cooked through. Remove these and place them aside on a plate (you can keep them warm in the oven on "warm" or about 200 F if you like but Justin and I usually just snack while the others are cooking). Repeat until all your dumplings are cooked!
Now if you need to boil them, it's simple. Pop those in boiling water as if they were ravioli. The indication that they are done will be the same: the skins will get translucent. However be careful not to put too many in the pot at once, they will stick even in this environment.
Once you've cooked up all your dumplings (or enough of them for you to say "oh screw it, let's eat now!") serve them on their own or with one of your favorite dipping sauces. Justin has a preference for Soy Sauce with a touch of chili powder. They go great with Sriracha (as, well, does everything), and I love them with Sweet and Sour sauce.
If you find there are more dumplings then you can consume, worry not, they actually make great leftovers. Now that they're cool, stuff those puppies into some tupperware. They may still stick a little but not as much as when they were warm but if you're a stickler for details, you can put some parchment paper between the layers and they won't have such a great potential to stick. Anyway, put those puppies in the fridge and in the next few days, when you're ready for some tasty leftovers, heat up about a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil and a teaspoon of Soy Sauce and let them pan fry until they are brown and crispy on the outside and warmed up in the middle. Keep a close eye on them as they're pan frying: they may stick a bit.
You can try re steaming them. If you do, let me know how that goes. All I know is that you can heat them up in the microwave, but they aren't as tasty as if you pan fry them. Also to note, there is probably "proper care of your bamboo steamer" instructions out there. Justin and I just put it in the dishwasher and it's fine. Sometimes it warps a bit, but as soon as you put it in that steaming water to do more dumpings the next time, it warps back so no worries.
*1 OR 2 - the amount of skins you use is greatly dependent upon how much you stuff the skins. If you like your dumplings stuffed real full, you may need just one pack. If you think you'll go lighter on the stuffing, you'll probably need 2 packs. If you're unsure, get two packs. Justin and I typically use 1 and a half (which is a bit frustrating but at least we have extras.) If you have leftover meat you can also just steam that in little meat balls the same way but without skins and they still taste good! So no worries either way, if you don't get enoughs skins, you'll know for next time!
