Beef Pot Stickers
From the Muslim quarter of Xi'an
Makes 24 dumplings
The Street Vendors of Xi'an not far from the Drum Tower, Shaanxi Province, China. Muslim replace pork filling with beef.
Ingredients for dough:
1 3/4 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup boiling-hot water
Ingredients for filling:
1/4 lb ground beef chuck (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Chinese sweet bean paste
2 cups finely chopped yellow or green garlic chives (6 oz)
Ingredients for panfrying:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/3 cup warm water
Equipment:
6-inch long 3/4-inch diameter rolling pin or dowel
Preparation:
Dough:
Put 1 3/4 cups flour in a large bowl, then add boiling-hot water, stirring with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. When just cool enough to handle, turn out dough (including any loose flour) onto a work surface and knead, incorporating some of remaining 1/4 cup flour if dough is sticky, until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrape. Let stand at room temperature at least 10 minutes and up to 30.
Make filling while dough stands:
Stir together beef, soy sauce, oils, ginger, and bean paste in a medium bowl, then stir in chives.
Form and fry dumplings:
Form dough into a log (24 inches long and about 1 inch wide) pieces.
Put 6 pieces, cut sides down, on a lightly floured surface (keep remaining pieces loosely covered with plastic wrap) and flatten slightly with your hand. Roll out each flattened piece into a 3 1/4-inch round with lightly floured rolling pin.
Put a level tablespoon of filling in center of each round, then brush or dab halfway around edge with a little water and fold in half, pressing edges together to seal and leaving a small opening at each end of semicircle. Stand each dumpling, sealed edge up, on a wax-paper-lined tray, then press dumplings slightly onto 1 side so more of dumpling touches tray. Make more dumplings in same manner.
Cook, uncovered, over moderate heat until oil sizzles, then drizzle warm water (1/3 cup) over pot stickers and cook, covered, until bottom s are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons more water if skillet looks dry before bottoms are browned.
Remove lid and cook, shaking skillet to loosen pot stickers, until steam dissipates, 1 to 2 minutes. Invert a large plate with arim over skillet. Using por holders, hold plate and skillet together and invert skillet. Remove skillet and serve pot stickers warm,
Courtesy of Street Vendor of Xi'an, Shaanxi Provice, China
