Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings)

Ingredients:

Dough
2 cups of Flour
1/2 cup luke-warm Water

Filling

1lb of Ground Pork
1/2 head of Cabbage (cored)
3 - 5 cloves of Garlic (medium diced)
1/4 cup Ginger (medium diced)
1 bunch of Green Onion
3 Tbsp cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp of Sugar
pepper to taste

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup of Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp of Rice Vinegar
3 Tbsp of Mirin
1 Tbsp of Sugar
1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 chunk of Gingerroot (finely chopped)
Finely chopped Green Onion for color

Step 1:

Pork: Cook it off - it doesn't need to be browned but just enough to get rid of the majority of the pink. This'll also cut down on the amount of grease inside the dumpling.

Cabbage: Boil in salted water for about 15 minutes, then allow to cool. Chop into fine pieces.

Green Onion: Chop into small pieces.

Step 2:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Allow to set for an hour.

Step 3:

Mix the flour and water together. Keep playing with it until you form a ball. I use a "packing" method myself - just start with the sticky dough in the middle and pack the flour onto it, then fold it over itself, squish down, and fold it again, then pack on some more flour and repeat (easier to do, than it is to read). When it is holding together, yet flakey, start pressing into a ball.

Next kneed the dough for about 10 minutes. Lightly flour your counter - you only need about a pinch. Take the dough ball and slam it into your counter, punch it a few times and try to flatten it out a little. Using the bottom part of the palm of your hands, start pressing the dough away from you. Be rough with it, you want to stretch it and give it a good work out. Fold the dough in back towards you and turn 90 degrees. Repeat this procedure for the ten minutes. After a few minutes you should start to notice that the dough is getting a bit more elastic and easier to press out. The dough is ready when you are able to push lightly on it with your finger and it'll bounce back into shape, has no more stickyness to it, and is soft and smooth.

Finally, cover the dough with a damp towel for 10 minutes.

Step 4:

Once your dough is ready, take it and begin make a dough snake. Best way to do this is to keep twisting and pulling gently on the dough. Every now and then roll it on the counter (like rolling a cucumber) to keep it at even width. You can also flatten the ball a bit, and poke your fist through the center and shape the wheel using a pulling and twisting motion; then cut the ring and straighten it (whichever method is easiest for you). Either way it helps to coat your hands in oil to help keep the dough from drying out as you work. You want the dough to be about an inch in diameter.

Step 5:

When you have your dough snake, cut it in 1/2 to 3/4 inch segments.

Step 6:

Take one segment (put the others under a damp towel) and roll it out into a thin sheet about 3 inches wide. Put a spoonful of the filling on it, and wet 1/2 half of the outer rim.

Step 7:

Fold the dumpling so that the ends meet, and press firmly to seal them. Then pleat the edges a few times to ensure a good seal. Repeat for the remainder of the segments.

Step 8:

Cooking the Dumplings

Heat some oil up in a pan, and place the gyoza on it with the folded side at the top. Brown the bottoms (3 to 5 minutes), then add 1/2 cup of water and quickly put the lid on. Steam them off for 5 minutes, then remove the lid. Let them fry for a couple more minutes, then carefully take them out of the pan.

Step 9:

Mix the dipping sauce ingredients together and let sit for an hour for flavor to mix.

Serve.