Pork Belly Dumplings

(The Source)

Kung hei fat choi, or as the Chinese like to say: may you and your family have a healthy, wealthy New Year.  The Year of the Dragon is nearly upon us. To celebrate, we selected a recipe true to the culinary traditions of the Chinese New Year.  This dish, which you can prepare ahead of time, incorporates some of the Chinese elements of fire, water, wood, earth and metal.  Serve it for Sunday brunch and really impress your guests.

Cook Time:

Prep Time:

Total Time:

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground pork butt

1/4 pound fat back

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoon scallions, chopped

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon dried cherries

1 tablespoon dried apricots

1 tablespoon golden raisins

1 egg

peanut or vegetable oil for sautéing

1 package wonton wrappers, available at most supermarkets.

3/4 cup black vinegar

1 1/4 cup chili oil

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup soy sauce

1 1/4 cup mushroom soy sauce

2 1/2 cup rice vinegar

1 1/4 cup chopped ginger

Preparation:

Rehydrate fruit in warm water for about 10 minutes and drain. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined.

In a bowl, whisk egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Place wonton wrapper on cutting board. Brush one half of the wrapper with egg wash. Place a small amount of filling (about 1 heaped tsp) in the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling, pinching the sides to seal.

To cook the dumplings, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add dumplings in small batches and boil for about 5 minutes. When they are cooked, they will float to the surface. Remove the dumplings and drain excess water on paper towels.

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add a few teaspoons of oil and sauté one side of the drained dumplings for about 1 minute until they turn golden brown and crispy. Serve with black vinegar dipping sauce.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Portion into smaller bowls for diners to dip their dumplings.