Description
These delicious pork and chive money bag dumplings will help you ring in the Chinese New Year with lots of luck and good fortune! Plus, they’re really cute and people can’t seem to ever get enough of them. Make ahead and freeze for serving larger crowds or for easy weeknight meals. We’ve used wonton wrappers for this recipe which makes it easy to assemble the pouches, but if you want to be 100% authentic, use yellow-colored wrappers like Hong Kong egg dumpling wrappers, tofu skins, or make your own using our homemade wonton recipe, or homemade 2-ingredient dumpling dough.
Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING
- 1 pound of pre-ground fatty pork (OR 1 pound fatty pork shoulder meat) (450g)
- 1/2 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) napa cabbage, shredded and finely chopped (225g)
- 1/2 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) carrots, julienned (or grated) (225g)
- 7 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) chives (or scallions, green parts only) finely minced (25g)*
- 6 to 7 slices fresh ginger (1/2 ounce), (10g)
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (30g)**
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (30g) (or sub regular soy)
- 2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable stock (or ginger-infused water) (30g)***
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (2g)
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (0.5g)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste (2g)
FOR ASSEMBLING THE DUMPLINGS
- 1 egg, whisked (OR 1 tablespoon cornstarch (7.5g) plus 1/2 cup of water (118g) (cornstarch slurry to seal the dumplings)
- 1 package of wonton or dumpling wrappers (50 to 60ct) (300 to 400g)
- 4 scallions (green parts only), longe chives, or cilantro stems (for tying the money bags)
EASY DUMPLING DIPPING SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce (30g)
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, or more to taste (5g)
- 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, or more to taste (1g)
- 1 tablespoon warm water (15g)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (5g)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (3g)
- chili oil or sambal to taste (optional)
*If using scallions (which often have a more pungent flavor as compared to chives, you may want to reduce the amount by half or according to your taste.
**If you use high-quality unsalted Shaoxing wine, you may need to increase the amount of salt you add. If you can’t find Shaoxing wine, use dry sherry in a 1:1 ratio. If you’re thinking about using mirin, it’s acceptable if that’s all you’ve got (but it really has a totally different flavor than Shaoxing wine and it’s also a bit sweet).
***If using water instead of chicken stock or vegetable stock in the filling, add a few slices of ginger to the water and allow it to infuse for at least 20 minutes before using. When you test fry a little dumpling filling to check for seasonings, you may find that you need to add just a bit more salt to the mixture, or a dash of soy sauce.
Instructions
- Steep the ginger in the pork filling seasoning. Add the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, and ginger to a small bowl and allow the mixture to infuse for 30 minutes or up to an hour while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Grind the pork (or use pre-ground pork). Place the pork into the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes to firm up and make it easier to slice and move through the grinder but do not let it freeze solid. Cut the pork shoulder into 2-inch cubes. Attach the KitchenAid food grinder attachment with the larger die, and start adding the meat and grinding. You may choose to grind the meat a second time, but I typically just give it all a quick chop with a knife on the cutting board to make sure all the pieces are nice and small.
- Sauté the cabbage and carrots. Add 1 teaspoon (5 g) of extra virgin olive oil to a skillet set over medium heat, add the chopped cabbage and carrots, a pinch of salt, and cook until the vegetables are tender and no moisture remains in the pan (about 20 minutes). Remove the mixture to a bowl to cool completely.
- Blanch the money bag “ties”. Bring a small pot of water to boil and add chives or sliced scallions or cilantro stems and blanch them for about 45 seconds. Remove them to a bowl of ice water to chill and stop them from cooking. When cooled through, squeeze out all of the water from the stems and place on a kitchen towel or paper towel until ready to use.
- Make + chill the pork filling. Remove the ginger from the pork filling seasoning and add the white pepper and toasted sesame oil and stir to combine. Add the ground pork and salt to a large mixing bowl with the pork filling seasoning and 2 tablespoons of chicken stock (or ginger-infused water or vegetable stock). Stir the mixture in one direction (clockwise) with chopsticks, or a fork until it becomes visibly “fluffy” and all of the ingredients are well combined and almost paste-like (about 8 to 10 minutes). At this point, the meat should have absorbed all of the liquid. Cover and place the mixture into the fridge to chill and allow the flavors to blossom for at least 15 minutes (or up to an hour).
- Make the dumpling dipping sauce. Combine 1 teaspoon of sugar with warm water to dissolve. Add all other ingredients, adjust seasonings if necessary and set aside.
- Test the flavor of the pork filling. Pan fry a small amount of filling in a lightly oiled skillet to make sure the seasonings are just right. Adjust the salt and any seasonings as needed. Once the filling tastes just right, add the chives, sautéed cabbage, and carrots and stir well to combine.
- Assemble the dumplings. Add about 2 teaspoons (10g) of pork filling to the center of each wrapper. Using your finger, brush two opposite sides of the wonton square with an egg wash or cornstarch slurry, close the wrapper at the top, and bring up all sides to the center, while simultaneously squeezing out any air around the filling to create the “money bag” or “purse”. Give it a pinch to close it in the middle. Tie the money bags with blanched chives, sliced scallions, or cilantro stems, and place the filled dumplings/wontons on a parchment-lined tray sprinkled with a little corn starch without touching each other.
- Steam the money bag dumplings. Add a couple of inches of water to a large sauté pan or wok and bring to a boil. Line a bamboo steamer with whole cabbage leaves or parchment paper and add the dumplings and make sure they don’t touch one another. Once the water is boiling, add the steamer basket on top and cover with the lid to steam the dumplings until cooked through (about 8 minutes for fresh dumplings and 10 minutes for frozen dumplings). Be sure not to add too much water and always make sure the dumplings are never in contact with any water as they steam. On the other hand, if you didn’t add enough water, just add a little more hot or boiling water to the pan as needed but be very careful because the steam can burn you. Remove the dumplings to a serving platter and serve with the dipping sauce Enjoy!
Notes
See the main post for all tips and techniques for making the very best dumplings at home.
- A great trick I learned from my friends in Chengdu for how to get ginger flavor into dumpling fillings without ever biting into actual pieces of ginger: Infuse dumpling filling sauces (like soy sauce) with ginger matchsticks instead of actually grating or mincing them and adding them to the filling. It adds just enough fragrant ginger flavor without ever being overpowering.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dim Sum + Dumplings
- Method: Steamed
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 Money Bag Dumplings
