Recipes: mince pork

Serves 30-50

Make the Dumplings

1. Add dumpling filling into a bowl and mix until well incorporated. Fill dumplings using store bought wrappers, sealing them with a bit of water. You can make these ahead and freeze in one layer (do not allow them to touch each other). Cook them directly from frozen (do not thaw).
2. To cook, bring a large pot of water to the boil. When it’s at a raging boil, add dumplings and cook in batches, for 5-6mins each batch, or until the dumplings are cooked through.
3. Remove dumplings with a slotted spoon/spider and place directly into the prepared sauce. Toss to coat then garnish with sliced spring onion and toasted sesame seeds.

Make the Chilli Oil Sauce

4. In a large shallow bowl, add garlic, sugar, Chinese five spice, chicken powder and Szechuan peppercorns in the centre.
5. Heat oil to smoking point then pour over the garlic mix to release the flavours. Give everything a stir then add the rest of the ingredients and mix through. Set aside.

Makes 50 small rolls or 15-20 medium sized ones

1. Thaw frozen wrappers in the fridge (in its wrapper, unopened). This will take a couple of hours.

2. Meanwhile, add noodles to one bowl, and dried mushrooms to another. Add boiling water to both bowls to fully cover. Leave to soak for 10mins then drain & rinse dry.

3. Slice noodles into shorter strands and finely chop mushrooms. Add both to a medium sized bowl, along with the rest of the filling ingredients. Mix thoroughly to combine.

4. Take wrappers out of its packaging & carefully separate each one by peeling them away from each other. Stack wrappers on top of each other and cover with a clean tea towel.

5. Prepare the slurry by mixing the flour and water together in a saucer.

6. Wrap your rolls with the prepared filling & secure the end with a dab of slurry.

7. Heat oil in a wok/pan and deep fry your rolls until golden. Drain on a wire rack lined with kitchen paper.

Serve these rolls with a side of nuoc mam dipping sauce.

(You can reheat cooked spring rolls in the oven or air fryer to bring back their crunch)

Makes approx. 90 dumplings

1. Mix all the well ingredients together in a large mixing bowl
2. Fill the wrapper with about a teaspoon of the filling
3. Use your fingers to place some water around the wrapper and fold it in half and close it into a dome shape
4. Add some water to the two corners and bring them together
5. Boil the dumplings in 3 batches for 7-8 minutes (you can have a couple pots going at once to speed things up.
6. Dip into a vinegar, soy sauce & chilli oil sauce

1. Finely dice water chestnut and tomato .

2. Finely chop eschalot, brown onion and garlic. Thinly cut shallot for garnish and set aside for later.

3. In a medium bowl, add the pork mince, water chestnut, brown onion, garlic, fish sauce, salt, pepper, sugar and corn starch. Mix together by hand to combine all of the ingredients well. Let this marinate for 30 minutes. 

4. Using your hands, roll the meat into a golf ball size (or you can use ice-cream scoop to keep size consistent). 

5. Place the meatballs into steamer and steam for 10 minutes.                

6. In a medium pot on medium high heat add oil, garlic, eschalot and fry until frangant. Add tomato paste and cook this down. Add the diced tomatoes and mix together. Add water, fish sauce, salt, sugar and chicken powder for seasoning. Bring sauce to boil then reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 5 minutes.

7. Gently add meatballs into the sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

8. To make the sauce thicker, mix 2 teaspoons of corn starch and 1 tbsp water until smooth. Add the mixture to the sauce, combine gently. 

9. Place meatballs into a bowl and sprinkle the top with shallots and some pepper. 

10. Serve with bread roll.
 

1. Put the black fungus in warm water for 10 minuntes to hydrate. Chop into small pieces.

2. Chop onion and mince garlic and eschalot finely . Dice tomato.

3. Marinate pork mixture : add pork mince, eschalot, 1/2 garlic, salt, pepper, black fungus together and mix until combined. Marinate for 30 minutes.

4. Slice tofu in half to make a small pocket and slowly stuff the marinated pork in the tofu.

5. Place tofu into steamer and steam for 5-7 minutes.

6. In a pan or wok, add oil bring to medium heat.  Add garlic and onion and cook fry until frangant. Add tomato paste and cook it down, add the diced tomatoes until combined.

7.  Add water, fish sauce, salt, sugar, chicken powder to sauce. Bring sauce to boil, add tofu and reduce the heat to simmer until pork stuffing mixture is  cooked and sauce is reduced.

8. Serve with steamed rice.