Name: The Best Japanese Pork and Cabbage Dumplings (Gyoza)
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 lb Napa cabbage, finely minced (about 1/2 a medium head); 1 tbsp Kosher salt, divided; 1 lb Ground pork shoulder; 1 tsp White pepper; 1 tbsp Garlic, minced fresh (about 3 medium cloves); 1 tsp Ginger, minced fresh; 2 oz Scallions, minced (about 3 whole scallions); 2 tsp Sugar; 1 package Dumpling wrappers, 40 to 50 wrappers; Vegetable or canola oil, for cooking; 1/2 cup Rice vinegar; 1/4 cup Soy sauce; 2 tbsp Chili oil, optional

Method

9 steps. Tap one to mark it done.

In a large bowl, mix the Napa cabbage with 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Move this mixture into a fine-mesh strainer placed over another bowl, then allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Place the salted cabbage in the middle of a clean dish towel and pull the corners together. Firmly wring and twist the towel to extract all the excess liquid from the vegetable, then throw away the squeezed-out juice.
Put the ground pork, squeezed cabbage, the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, white pepper, garlic, ginger, scallions, and sugar together in a large bowl. Work the ingredients with your clean hands until they form a uniform, slightly sticky mixture. To test, cook a teaspoon of the filling in the microwave on high power for 10 seconds, sample it, and add more salt, white pepper, or sugar to taste.
Prepare your assembly area by placing a small bowl of water, a clean dish towel, the bowl of prepared pork filling, a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and the dumpling wrappers under plastic wrap.
To shape each dumpling, place a wrapper flat on your palm and put 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle. Dip your fingertip in the water and wet the outer rim of the wrapper.
Beginning on one side, fold the wrapper over the filling to create a crescent shape, crimping the front edge against the flat back edge to seal it. Transfer the finished dumplings to the sheet lined with parchment paper. At this stage, they can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Warm 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Arrange the dumplings in a single layer, filling the pan without crowding, and fry while gently swirling the skillet until the undersides turn a uniform golden brown, which should take about 1 1/2 minutes.
Turn the stove up to medium-high heat, pour in 1/2 cup of water, and seal the skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Let steam for 3 minutes, or 5 minutes if cooking from frozen, then uncover the pan. Keep cooking while shaking the pan often, using a spatula to carefully release any stuck pieces, until the liquid completely evaporates and the bottoms become crunchy again, about 2 minutes. Slide them onto a plate with the crispy sides facing up.
To prepare the dipping sauce, stir together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil if using. Serve alongside the freshly cooked gyoza right away.