My aunt called my dumplings "soggy balloons" and I had to fix them

So last family dinner my aunt took one bite of my pork and chive dumplings and said they were like chewing on a wet sock. It stung but she wasn't wrong. The wrappers were thick and doughy in the middle and the filling was just mush. I started watching videos from a guy in Flushing who said the secret is to squeeze out all the moisture from your grated ginger and chopped chives before mixing them into the meat. I tried it last weekend and added a shot of cold water to the pork as I stirred it one direction for like 5 minutes until it got sticky. The texture difference was night and day. Has anyone else been killing their dumplings by skipping the squeeze step?

3 comments

3 Comments

tara7931d ago

My mother taught me that trick years ago when she showed me how to make her wontons. She would wring the chives and ginger in a clean kitchen towel until barely any moisture came out, then mix them into the pork with the soy and sesame oil. The difference was amazing - the filling stayed firm and didn't turn the wrappers into gluey messes. I also found that adding that cold water step made the meat hold together so much better when boiling. It takes an extra few minutes but the texture is completely worth it.

lunaf672d ago

Wait hold on, you squeeze the moisture out of the ginger and chives?! I've been throwing them in all wet and wondering why my dumplings turn into sad little soup bombs. That's honestly genius, I bet it fixes everything.

janarivera2d ago

Wait, didn't you always have to squeeze them dry? I actually thought that was wrong before but now I get it.