Michael Chen cooks up pork dumplings on Good Day

Michael Chen, contestant on the FOX television show "MasterChef" joined us in the studio on Tuesday and showed us how to prepare pork and cabbage dumplings.

Recipe: Pork and cabbage dumplings

For the dumplings

• 2 c flour
• 3/4 c water
• 1 c chicken broth
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 2 tbs minced fresh ginger
• 1/3 c sliced scallion
• 2 cups minced cabbage
• ½ c finely chopped shitake mushrooms
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbs dark soy sauce
• Vegetable oil (as needed)
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)
  

For the garlic chili oil

• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp Korean pepper flakes
• ¼ c vegetable oil
• 3-4 cloves crushed fresh garlic

For the dipping sauce

• 1 tbs dark soy sauce
• 1 tbs chinese black vinegar
• 1 tbs simple syrup (1:1 ratio sugar:water)
• 1 tsp sesame oil

For the herb salad

• Chopped cilantro
• Thinly sliced scallion

Directions:

1. Mix flour and water in a stand mixer w/dough hook until dough is smooth, elastic, and not sticky.
2. Add chicken broth a little at a time to the ground pork until the mixture has the consistency of thick pudding, taking into account any moisture the vegetables will release after being minced and added to the meat.
3. Mince the ginger and scallion, finely chop the shitake mushrooms, and add to the mixture. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Add the vegetable oil, adjusting for the leanness of the meat. Stir well to combine.
4. Finely chop the cabbage (a food processor is good for this) and add it to the meat mixture. Thoroughly fold the vegetables into the mixture. The finished filling should be very moist and shiny, but should hold its shape when scooped out of the bowl with a spoon. Re-season with more salt if necessary.
5. Working in batches, roll out the dough on a floured surface into a rope between ½-1 inch in diameter. Cur the dough into small, squat cylinders, exact size depending on personal preference. Flatten the dough into a small, quarter-sized pancake with the palm of your hand, and then roll out the dough into circles roughly 3-4 inches in diameter, leaving the dough near the center of the wrapper thicker to allow for some stretching during folding and sealing.
6. Take a spoonful of the filling and place it in the center of the wrapper. Moisten the edge of the wrapper if necessary to ensure a tight seal. Seal the wrapper, using a decorative technique if desired.
7. Drop dumplings in the water, cooking until the dumplings look plump and rise to the surface (about 5 minutes if freshly made, 8 minutes if frozen).
8. Meanwhile, prepare the dipping sauce. Add the crushed red pepper and the Korean red pepper powder to some vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, and cook until the oil is aromatic. Strain out the pepper and roast the garlic in the chili oil just until the garlic loses its pungency.
9. Mix the soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, simple syrup, and sesame oil and carefully place into serving bowl. Ladle out the steaming hot dumplings and carefully arrange on the plate. Make a small salad of chopped cilantro and scallions and arrange in the center of the dish. Drizzle the garlic-chili oil mixture on top of the dumplings and salad. Serve.