BBQ Pork Gyoza

For me, the perfect bite satisfies all my needs. It's a sticky sweet, spicy umami bomb that's both crispy and chewy. After 2 weekends of upstate cookouts in a row, I was beat. Regardless, I was still needing a fix for grilled meats in the form of pulled pork barbecue. And in my hungry state, I thought of combining two of my favorite things in the worlds: Japanese gyoza dumplings and bbq pulled pork. 

This was an incredibly fun project. I didn't have a grill so that was the first hurdle. Be sure to check out my recipe for BBQ Pork Shoulder and a Spicy Homemade BBQ Sauce for a tried and true technique for fork tend pork butt. The second was the dumpling wrapper. I'm all for making everything I can from scratch, but in this case, I opted for frozen dumpling wrappers and suggest you do the same.

Be sure not to skip the corn starch and water step. It creates a crispy web that connects each of the dumplings and really takes things to the next level. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups packed Napa cabbage, fine dice
Kosher salt
5 stalks green onions, minced
3 cups packed pulled BBQ pork
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 package dumpling wrappers
Water
Vegetable or light olive oil
1 tsp corn starch

Begin by finely dicing half of a head of Napa Cabbage. Add 3 packed cups of cabbage to a strainer set over a bowl and sprinkle in 2 tsp of Kosher salt. Let the cabbage sit for 15 minutes to draw out liquid. After 15 minutes, place the cabbage into a kitchen towel and wring out excess water by squeezing firmly. Add cabbage to a large mixing bowl.

Add in 5 stalks of minced green onions and 3 cups of pulled pork. Mix to combine. Mix in 3/4 of a cup to 1 cup of barbecue sauce. You want a sticky mixture but not wet. 

Be sure to check out my recipe for BBQ Pork Shoulder and Spicy Homemade BBQ Sauce. This makes the perfect filling for BBQ Pork Gyoza.

Let’s make some gyoza! Place about a 1/2 TBSP worth of filling into the center of the wrapper. Lightly wet the edges with water using your finger. Starting at one end, fold the dumpling into a crescent. Firmly press together the edges while adding in pleats, on one side, every cm or so. Aim for 6-7 pleats per gyoza. Be sure to remove excess air from the dumpling before completely sealing the dumpling. Lightly press the dumpling’s flat side and continue to shape the it into a crescent. Continue this process laying out the dumplings on a parchment lined baking sheet.

You can freeze the dumplings for up to 2 months in a heavy duty freezer bag.

To cook, preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add in  1 TBSP of vegetable or light olive oil and evenly distribute. Place dumplings flat side down in a single layer. Dissolve in 1 tsp of corn starch to a ½ cup of water. Increase the heat to medium high and add in a the cornstarch water mixture. Cover the pan with a lid and steam the gyoza for about 3 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking until the water evaporates and the gyoza is golden and crisp on the bottom.