Pork Pot Stickers

Ingredients:

Pork Filling:

2 cups chopped napa cabbage
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 pound ground pork, (not lean pork, the fat is good for juicy and
flavorful dumplings)
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 egg
1 cup chicken stock, (or up to 2 cups)

Pot Sticker Dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups boiling water, (or up to 1 3/4 cups)

Spicy Dipping Sauce:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup sliced scallions
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Oriental chile paste

Preparation:

Pork Filling:

Sprinkle cabbage with the 1/2 tablespoon of salt and let stand for 30
minutes. Place the cabbage in a strainer or on a piece of cheesecloth
and squeeze out any water. You want the cabbage as dry as possible. In
a large bowl thoroughly mix the cabbage with all of the other
ingredients, except the chicken stock. Taste a bite or two to check
for seasoning.

Pot Sticker Dough:

In a bowl, mix flour and salt. Slowly add hot water to flour in
1/4-cup increments. Mix until a ball is formed and the dough is not
too hot to handle.

On a floured surface, knead dough until it becomes a smooth, elastic
ball. Place back in bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rest
for at least 1 hour.

Working on a floured surface with floured hands, roll out dough to
1-inch in diameter. Cut 1/2-inch pieces and turn them over so the cut
sides are facing up. Flatten with your palm and roll out thin using a
rolling pin. The dumpling wrapper should end up about 3 inches in
diameter.

Assemble the Dumplings:

Place a small mound of filling in the middle of the wrapper leaving
the edges clear of any of the filling. Fold the wrapper in half to
form a half moon shape. Starting on one end fold/pinch the wrapper
tightly together working your way in this manner to the opposite end
and the dumpling is completely sealed. Set the dumplings with the
folded edges straight up.

Cooking the Dumplings:

In a hot sauté pan coated well with oil, place pot stickers flat-side
down and cook until the bottom is browned. Have pan cover ready and
add 1 cup of chicken stock, cover immediately. Be careful, the liquid
will splatter! The stock will steam the pot stickers. Check them in 5
minutes as more stock may be needed. The trick here is that once the
dumplings are firm and fully cooked the stock will evaporate and the
bottoms will crisp-up again.

Spicy Dipping Sauce:

Combine all and serve in a small bowl on the side.