Pork and Chives Chinese Dumpling Recipe

Dumplings taste better when filled with family memories!

Written by Chowbus Employee, Cindy Yang

Pork and chive are one of the most traditional Chinese dumpling fillings - they’re also my all-time favorite comfort food. Growing up in a northern city in China, I learned how to wrap dumplings from watching my mom when I was just a little girl. In my house growing up, she was always the one that made the fillings, that is until I moved to America and took her recipe with me. Fresh chives add a burst of savory flavor to the filling, and when they’re served with vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil, the dumplings are super satisfying. For the wrapper, you can either make it from scratch for a fresh taste or buy it from an Asian grocery store available with Chowbus grocery.

Handmade by me, Cindy! These handmade dumplings are exact replicas of the ones made by my mom too. 

Recipe

Serves 6 people - Total Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork

• 1/2 lb Chinese chives, cut into 1/4” (0.6 cm) pieces

• 2 large raw eggs

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil

• 1 tablespoons oyster sauce

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper 

• 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh wood ear (adds the “magical texture”)

• 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (or Vodka)

• 1/4 cup dried shrimp (optional)

*Tips: You can also go with what looks good to you - in fact,  my mom never measured out the ingredients.She just “eyeballed it” but it always tastes good!

Cooking Steps

Step 1: Wash and chop off the root or white part of the chives, then cut Chinese chives into 1/4” (0.6 cm) pieces.

Step 2: Mix all ingredients well and vigorously in a medium-sized mixing bowl until the filling is “sticky”.

Step 3: Put aside for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Wrap dumplings. There are many YouTube tutorials about the best way to wrap dumplings but I suggest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCqf-h95m2A