The Dumpling Filling Secret Restaurants Don't Share

ground pork

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground chicken

Ground turkey is leaner, while ground chicken is often less expensive.

all-purpose flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: rice flour

Whole wheat flour adds fiber, while rice flour can be cheaper for gluten-free options.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: low-sodium soy sauce

💰Cheaper: tamari

Low-sodium soy sauce reduces sodium intake, while tamari is often less expensive.

sesame oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Olive oil is healthier, while canola oil is a more budget-friendly option.

In a mixing bowl, add 1 and 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and a pinch of salt, then mix gently.

Add 1/4 cup boiled hot water and mix again.

Add another 1/4 cup room temperature water and continue mixing until there is no loose flour.

Knead the mixture into a soft dough, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to rest for 1 hour.

Prepare the lamb filling by shaving off some fat from 1 pound of lamb leg meat and grinding the rest.

Chop 6 scallions, separating the white and green parts, and set aside a handful of the white parts for infusing oil later.

In the ground lamb, add 1 tablespoon white pepper, 1/2 tablespoon five-spice powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce, then mix well.

Add 3 tablespoons of bone broth (or water if no broth is available) and mix thoroughly.

Grate 2 tablespoons of ginger into the lamb and mix until the meat becomes sticky.

Render oil from the lamb fat, then add the reserved white scallion parts and 2 tablespoons of citrum peppercorns to infuse the oil for 3-5 minutes.

Remove the white scallions and peppercorns, then pour the hot infused oil over the lamb mixture and mix in the scallions.

Knead the rested dough for a couple of minutes, then shape it into a disc and poke a hole in the middle to stretch into a loop.

Divide the dough into small pieces, flatten each piece into a disc, and roll into thin wrappers.

Start boiling a pot of water for steaming, and place a steamer on top of the boiled water.

Steam the dumplings for 10 minutes over medium-high heat.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens