Andrew Zimmern's Boiled Pork and Cabbage Dumplings (2024)

FAQs

How long to boil Chinese dumplings? ›

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook dumplings in batches of about eight until they are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to a serving platter. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.

Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of cooked dough (made from a variety of starchy sources), often wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, wheat or other flours, or potatoes, and it may be filled with meat, fish, tofu, cheese, vegetables, or a combination.

Dumplings can be steamed (zhēngjiǎo, 蒸饺), pan-fried (jiānjiǎo, 煎饺), or boiled (shuǐjiǎo, 水饺, literal translation: water dumpling). They are then served with a dipping sauce, like Chinese black vinegar or our favorite dumpling sauce recipe. They can also be eaten with hot pot meals or served in soup!

Most experts believe that dumplings were invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a Chinese medicine practitioner who lived in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the second imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 206 BC to 220 AD.

Cover and bring to a vigorous boil. Add roughly one cup of cold water and return to boil while covered. Repeat this step again. The dumplings will be completely cooked and ready when they float on the surface of the boiling water.

If you were to overcook the dumplings, you would notice that the texture and consistency would be all wrong. The dumplings would be rather dry and crumbly and would fall apart with little effort.

Unlike people from most western countries, Chinese rarely eat bread for breakfast because its taste is described as “mediocre” by many Chinese people. Steamed buns, deep-fried dough sticks, scallion pancakes, and porridge are the typical choices for a traditional Chinese breakfast.

SCALLIONS OR GREEN ONIONS (香葱, Xiāng cōng)

In Chinese, scallions (AKA green onions) are often simply referred to as, cōng (葱). Look for fresh, deep green scallions.

A very popular cooking technique in Chinese cooking is stir frying. Cooked in a pan called a wok, stir frying involves stirring and tossing meat and vegetables in a small amount of hot oil over high heat.

It's best to have your lid ready: Immediately add about 3 tablespoons of water to the pan, just enough to cover the base of the dumplings, then cover and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until the water has evaporated. Lift the lid and allow the dumpling to cook for another 30 seconds, to allow the bottoms to get extra crispy.

How to tell if pork dumplings are cooked? ›

Once all of the water evaporates, remove the lid and check the bottom of the dumplings for a golden brown colour and flip them over. If they're not yet golden brown, continue cooking the dumplings. 4. Once the bottoms are golden brown, flip them over and cook the other side of the dumplings until golden brown.

Boiled. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to stop the dumplings sticking together.

Originating in the Pennsylvania region the pierogies have been a staple in the city of Pittsburgh and all over western Pennsylvania. Pierogies are soft semicircular dumplings that are usually filled with potatoes or cheese. However, just like other dumplings, fillings are interchangeable depending on culture.

Boiling Turns Dumplings Soft And Juicy

However, it takes more time since it involves waiting for the water to boil before adding the dumplings in and then letting everything reach the boiling point again. While this method is great for making a big batch of food, you need to be careful not to overcook the pieces.

The consensus is that dumplings carry a whole lot of micronutrients and are typically healthy options.

How do you know when dumplings are done? Most recipes will give you a time to cook them—the one I use says 10 minutes without a lid on the pot and then 10 minutes with a lid, so 20 minutes total in simmering soup broth. To test, take one out and open it up—if it's done in the middle, it's done.

Frozen dumplings should take between six to 10 minutes depending on their size (just cut one in half and peek to make sure it's cooked).

Pour water into a wok until one-quarter full. Bring to the boil over high heat. Place steamer over wok, ensuring base doesn't touch water. Steam dumplings for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender and cooked through.

There are three basic ways: steaming, boiling, and steam-frying. There is also deep-frying or serving with a crispy lacy “skirt.” While the cooking method depends heavily upon your mood and what you are craving, it also depends on the shape of your dumpling.