Description
Every special gathering with my family always involves dim sum. Whether it’s a birthday, holiday, or even just a summer evening at the cabin, you’ll always find us sitting around the table & nibbling for hours as we enjoy each other’s company.
At our house, our dim sum spreads always include egg rolls, char siu pork, & some sort of stir fried noodles, but my eyes are always glued to the platter of Mom’s Pork Shumai – they’re tender, juicy, & have so much delicious aromatic flavor!
While you can fill & prepare siu mai dumplings in many ways, this recipe is my family’s version that we love & cherish. Mom’s pork shumai recipe comes together by tucking an all-pork filling into wonton wrappers & steaming until they’re perfectly tender. The pork filling is succulent & juicy, & add-ins like hearty shiitake mushrooms, crunchy water chestnuts, & aromatic green onions create the perfect balance in flavor & texture.
Plus, since shumai are open-faced & don’t require any any intricate pleating, they’re one of the easiest dumplings you can learn to make, which is perfect if you’re just starting out! Be sure to check out the blog post, above, for more tips, tricks, & secrets to success, & watch the Youtube video below for step-by-step guidance.
We’re thrilled special family recipe with you, & it’s our hope that you enjoy it just as much as we do at our house. ♡ Happy cooking!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground pork
- starch slurry (2 tablespoons water + 2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2–3 green onions, finely sliced (approx. ¼ cup)
- 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water for 10 minutes & finely diced (approx. 6–7 dried mushrooms, see Recipe Notes)
- 4 ounces water chestnuts, finely diced (approx. ½ cup diced, see Recipe Notes)
- 4 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 package 2 ½ – 3-inch round wonton wrappers (see Recipe Notes)
- nonstick cooking spray, for steaming
- for serving: siu mai sauce (1 tablespoon Chinese hot mustard + 1 tablespoon cold water mixed into a paste + 3 tablespoons soy sauce).
Instructions
- Shumai prep: For easiest prep, start by measuring & preparing shumai ingredients according to the Ingredients List, above (e.g. slice green onions, dice mushrooms, chop water chestnuts, measure liquid ingredients, etc.). To prepare the slurry, simply whisk it together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup (I typically combine the cornstarch/potato starch & water in a jar & vigorously shake to combine). Set aside.
- Prepare the pork shumai filling: Place the ground pork in a large mixing bowl, pouring the cornstarch slurry & sesame oil over top. Using your hands, mix to combine very well, until the pork has a sticky appearance. Add in the remaining shumai filling ingredients (green onions, mushrooms, water chestnuts, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, & white pepper). Using your hands, mix to combine very well, until everything is evenly combined. Set aside for shumai dumpling assembly, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="37348,37350"]
- Shumai assembly: Line a quarter sheet pan with wax paper or parchment paper & set aside. To wrap & fold the shumai dumplings, place a rounded tablespoon of the pork mixture in the center of one of the round shumai wrappers. Use the back of the spoon to spread the pork to the edge of the wrapper, leaving a ⅛-inch border along the edge. Place the prepared shumai wrapper in the palm of your non-dominant hand, meat side facing up, & cup your hand gently to raise the edges of the wonton wrapper slightly up. Using your dominant hand, begin pinching the edge of the wrapper & laying it back, working your way around until you form a fully pleated shumai dumplings. Use the back of your spoon to smooth & flatten the exposed pork mixture at top of shumai, then use your thumb to flatten bottom. Set the wrapped shumai dumpling on the prepared baking sheet. [gallery size="full" ids="37352,37354,37356,37358,37360,37362"]
- Repeat dumpling assembly until you’ve used all of the remaining pork mixture. You can leave the assembled dumplings uncovered if you’ll be preparing shortly after assembly. Transfer them to the refrigerator while you prepare your steamer pot, or transfer to a parchment-lined airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. (You may have some leftover siu mai wrappers, which can wrap well & freeze for the next time you make siumai).
- Steam the siumai dumplings: Prepare your steamer pot according to manufacturers directions. We typically add 2-3 inches of water in the bottom pot, then bring it to a boil over high heat. Very lightly spray the steamer baskets with nonstick cooking spray, then place the siu mai in the prepared baskets, arranging them such that each dumpling has about ¼-inch to ½-inch of space around it. Since basket sizes can vary, be sure the dumplings are not touching the basket. Once the water reaches a boil, place the steamer baskets over top & cover with a lid. Steam for about 7 minutes, until the wrappers are soft & the pork is cooked through. Transfer steamed shumai dumplings to a serving plate & repeat steaming process with any remaining siumai. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="37366,37368"]
- Serving: Enjoy your shumai dumplings straight out of the steamer while they’re still warm with a simple shumai dipping sauce of Chinese hot mustard & soy sauce. (We always mix this at the table to our individual tastes. I suggest starting with mixing 1 tablespoon Chinese hot mustard powder with 2 tablespoons cold water into a thick paste. Add 3 tablespoons soy sauce to the mustard powder mixture, then adjust based on how spicy & punchy you’d like it to be). At our house, we most often enjoy shumai alongside an entire spread of other pupus & dim sum, like Mom’s egg rolls, sesame chicken wings, char siu bao, & stir fried noodles. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredient & Equipment Notes:
- Siu mai dumpling wrappers: At my house, we always make shumai using store-bought wonton wrappers. For best results, look for 2 ½ – 3-inch round wrappers, which are readily available in the freezer aisle of a well-stocked Asian grocery store. If you can only find square won ton wrappers, you can substitute, simply cut off the corners of the wrappers before assembly to make the round shape. If you’d like to take on a fun kitchen project, you can also easily make siu mai wrappers at home with staple ingredients like all-purpose flour, cornstarch, & water – my friend Kristina has a wonderful homemade shumai wrapper recipe.
- Shiitake mushrooms: We always like to add some shiitakes to our dumplings; their meaty texture adds a little extra heft to the filling & their earthy flavor is delicious. If fresh shiitake mushrooms are readily available where you live, feel free to use them! You’ll need about 1 ½ ounces of fresh shitake mushrooms (approx. 3 mushrooms). If you cannot find fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms, feel free to swap in another variety you like – white button mushrooms & cremini “baby bella” mushrooms will work well, too!
- Water chestnuts are an aquatic tuber (named after their chestnut-like appearance) indigenous to Southeast Asia. They are very mild in flavor, but have a wonderfully refreshing crunchy-crisp texture. You’ll often see water chestnuts used in Chinese-style stir fries, but my family always adds them to dishes like siu mai or manapua (char siu bao) for extra texture. Canned water chestnuts are readily available in most conventional grocery stores – find them in the “International” aisle near other Asian ingredients.
- Steamer pot set up for steamed dumplings: The only special equipment you need to make steamed shumai dumplings at home is a steamer pot. If you don’t yet have one, there are plenty of options! Mom uses a wonderful stainless steel steamer pot similar to this one, which she’s used for years. I opt for bamboo steamer baskets, which fit really well in my Staub Dutch ovens. Our Place, also sells spruce steamer baskets that are designed to fit their popular Always Pan.
- Storage, & Freezing:
- Storage & Reheating: Leftover steamed pork shumai will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezer Instructions: You can also freeze leftover shumai dumplings. Transfer the chilled steamed shumai to a freezer bag & freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
- Make-Ahead Pork Shumai: While this pork shumai recipe is pretty straight-forward, preparing the pork filling & folding the dumplings does take a little time – it’s kind of a kitchen project in that way! If you’d like to do a little prep in advance to cut down on active hands-on time when you steam your dumplings there are a few options:
- Make-Ahead Option #1: Prep the pork shumai filling in advance. Prepare the siu mai filling according to Steps 1-2 of Recipe Directions, above. Transfer to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. The day you’d like to steam your shumai dumplings, simply fill & fold dumplings according to Steps 3-4, above, then proceed with steaming.
- Make-Ahead Option #2: Assemble the pork shumai dumplings in advance. Prepare the shumai according to Steps 1-4 of Recipe Notes, above. Transfer to a parchment or wax paper-lined airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Be sure the shumai dumplings are stored with space between each individual dumpling to prevent sticking. To steam, simply allow the shumai to warm slightly before steaming according to Steps 5 of Recipe Directions, above.