Instead of leaving that big wild pig you shot in the field, you should definitely bring it in and make some wild pork dumplings!!
Dumplings are the best! Who doesn’t love a good side of dumplings at their favorite Asian restaurant? They’re not only my go to appetizer, but my favorite snack at the supermarket. The flavor profile of a dumpling, with the soft sticky exterior and the warm flavorful filling accompanied with a tangy equally flavorful sauce, is what makes them so great. With some wild pork still left in the freezer I had to make my own version.
We have been working through a wild boar we got a couple of months ago and decided to grind up some of the meat. It was a fat boar and the “smelliness” or “off-taste” that is normally associated with a big boar hasn’t been in any of the meat. Even if it had been a little smelly, I think this recipe has enough aromatics to cover any off scent and still taste great! I have a couple more wild pork recipes in mind and look forward to experimenting with it.
Wild Pork Dumplings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb fatty ground pork
- 40 dumpling or wonton wrappers
- 1.5 C green cabbage finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 stalks green onion finely chopped
- 1.5 T hoisin sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 ¼ tsp ginger minced
- 1 T plus 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 oz dried mushrooms rehydrated and finely chopped
- ½ tsp white pepper
- Water to dip fingers in and for steaming
- Oil for frying I use a combination of sesame and vegetable
Dipping Sauce:
- ¼ C soy sauce
- 1.5 T rice vinegar
- 1 T rice wine
- ¼-1 tsp sriracha depends on how spicy you would like and consistency
- 1 stalk scallion whites
- Dash of sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine pork, green cabbage, garlic, green onions, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce, mushrooms, and white pepper until fully combined.
- Place mixture in a Ziplock and refrigerate overnight. This is not necessary if you are in a time crunch, but it will enhance the flavors.
- Fill wonton/dumpling wrappers with a heaping tsp to fill.
- Wet finger and trace outside edge of wrapper. This will make the wrapper sticky and allow you to close it.
- Make your dumpling shape. I brought all the edges to the middle to create the shape I did. However, a simple YouTube will show you all the possibilities you can create. Just make sure your dumpling is good and sealed.
- Place several T (enough to cover the bottom just barely) of oil in a frying pan and heat over medium.
- When oil becomes hot, place dumplings, bottom down, on the pan and brown the bottoms (~2 minutes).
- **CAUTION** Place 1/4C of water in the pan. Cover immediately.
- Turn heat to medium-low and steam until pork is fully cooked (~6 minutes).
- While dumplings are cooking, mix dipping sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Enjoy!
