Are you a fan of the Chinese steamed dumpling? I am a HUGE fan of the Chinese steamed dumpling!!! Like HUGE!!! It’s probably because I was made in Taiwan (seriously, I was – Dad was stationed there) and my parents ate them ALL the time. They would go to lunch and get a big bowl of dumplings and some soup. So technically, it was one of the first things I consumed.

Since my mom is such a fan, we never went out for Chinese food without dumplings being a part of the meal. I introduced them to many friends over the years, and they all thanked me for it. Even now, I’d rather just have steamed dumplings than any other Chinese food. However, in order to have them, you’ve got to go get them or wait for a delivery person. I don’t like the ones in the freezer section at all. So when I saw a recipe for pork dumplings in this month’s FAMILY FUN magazine, I was excited to try them.

You can get the recipe on their website. It’s a four parter. One part on how to make the filling. One on how to stuff them. One on how to cook them. And, the final one for the dipping sauce.

THESE WERE DIVINE. They smelled SO good as I was making them and were just melt in your mouth good. My Sweetie and I enjoyed many! I put some in the fridge, so we’ll see how they warm up. I also put some in the freezer to see how they freeze.

THEY TOOK HOURS TO MAKE. Seriously  – hours. Part of that is because I need a food processor – in a major way. I’m, thinking of doing the Once A Month Mom Cook Off just so I can perhaps win a food processor. There was much cabbage to be shredded, which meant I was mincing it without a food processor. In addition, you had to stuff each one and keep them covered with a damp towel while you were making more. This is a PROCESS! Finally, I was using my little bitty veggie steamer in my big frying pan to steam them. I could only get on about 7 at a time, so it was slow going.

Things I learned:

These are worth the effort. Really. They were that yummy. Especially if they reheat well.

You DO need to cover with a damp towel like it tells you.

You DO need to spray your metal steamer or they will stick.

If I continue to make these, I’ll probably invest in a bamboo steamer. It would make the process a whole lot easier.

Is there something you’ve tried recently that turned out great? Not so great?