Pork Soup Dumplings Recipe - Jett's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Why are my soup dumplings gummy? ›

If you overcook your dumplings in the steamer or when boiling, the dough of the wrappers will have a gummy texture that isn't very pleasant, and your filling might get dry and tough. If you overcook them in the pan, you risk a similar gummy texture on top and a bitter, burnt crust on the bottom.

Watch Yan and a dumpling chef mix the dough for the wrappers, blend the filling so that it's "very, very smooth, and very light," fill the dumplings, pinch them closed, and finally stack them high in steamer baskets. The secret to getting that liquid center? Jellied soup.

Xiaolongbao are traditionally filled with pork. More modern innovations include other meats, seafood, shrimp, crab meat, and vegetarian fillings. Soup dumplings are created by wrapping solid meat aspic inside the skin alongside the meat filling. Heat from steaming then melts the gelatin-gelled aspic into soup.

The steam that builds up by covering the pot is what cooks the dumplings. Don't boil or stir the dumplings. Vigorous boiling and stirring will cause the dumplings to fall apart.

Don't overmix the dough: Overmixing activates gluten, resulting in tough dumplings. Mix just until the ingredients come together. Use leavening agents: Baking powder, baking soda, or self-rising flour can add air pockets for fluffiness. Cook gently: Avoid harsh boiling or frying, as it can toughen the dumplings.

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

Stir everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and you don't see any more dry flour. The dough might look a little lumpy, but that's okay! Overworking the dough is one of the easiest ways to end up with tough dumplings.

There are a few possible culprits here. Overcooking dumplings can cause the soup inside to evaporate. But if they're left to cool for too long, the gelatin in the soup will solidify. Or, there may be a hole or leak in the dumplings, though we try to avoid these!

What makes xiao long bao different from other types of dumplings is its super delicate skin that's thin and elastic, yet soft and almost transparent. They are both filled with that delicious gelatin that turns into soup when cooked. The main difference is that xiao long bao are steamed instead of pan-fried.

They can be steamed, boiled, pan-fried, or deep-fried, and can have thin, delicate wrappers, or be made with a thicker, heavier dough.

Potstickers are always dumplings, but not all dumplings are potstickers. The biggest difference between these two are how they are cooked, but the cooking method has also changed the kinds of ingredients and preparation of both potstickers and dumplings over time. Potstickers are dumplings that are also pan-fried.

Is bao the same as soup dumplings? ›

Moreover, it is widely popular for dough-wrapped fillings, such as baos and dumplings. Yes, they both look the same and are often confused by the other. However, bao and dumplings are completely different in terms of dough, filling, and cooking process.

Black Vinegar for Soup Dumplings

They're also the most traditional way of enjoying soup dumplings, alongside thin slices of fresh ginger. Zhenjiang black vinegar (鎭江香醋) originated in the eastern Chinese city of the same name and is made with black sticky rice and other grains.

That means you did not cook it long enough before adding it to or adding the broth. If you don't cook roux long enough (until it changes color) then it will taste like flour.

Some doughs are too dry, so the dumplings won't stay sealed. Others can be too wet and sticky and end up tearing. If the filling isn't cohesive enough, it will tumble out when you bite into it. If there's air trapped in the sealed dumpling, it will balloon during cooking, causing an explosive first bite.

Simmering broth might not be hot enough to raise the dumpling dough. Remove or tilt the lid after they've cooked so the dumplings don't over-steam and get soggy and dense.

If the dough is too sticky, knead in flour a teaspoon or so at a time. Divide the dough into two portions and shape each portion into a thick log. Cut each log into 8 to 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 4- to 4 ½-inch circle, making sure the dough is a little thicker in the middle and thinner on the edges.

Allow enough space between dumplings for steam to get through and so that they do not stick together when cooking. Ensure you have enough water in your wok (or pot) so that it doesn't burn the base. If using a wok ideally the water should be close to the base of the steamer, but not as high as where the food sits.

This is a very common question that our students ask when making dumpling dough. Obviously, there could simply be too much water for the amount of flour. You can avoid this problem by simply using the exact amounts of ingredients specified in the recipe.