Local Fusion Cooking: Beef & Potato Potstickers

This recipe is an ode to my life in Seattle. Folding dumplings was one of the most therapeutic tasks from my kitchen time there. Mostly, it was a task we completed after a busy brunch service on Saturday, which signified that your day was approaching an end, which after the insanity that is the first 8 hours of Saturday Brunch in Seattle, is always a feeling of relief.

Folding potstickers is even more fun with a friend. You lay out all the round potsticker wrappers (double check there is only one, sometimes they stick), and the other person places the filling in the middle of each wrapper (enough so you can still fold it easily). Then someone wets the edges (top half of wrapper- use a pastry brush and water, or a paintbrush if you are without like me), and you fold the edges together. I recommend doing a small pleat fold every ¼ inch then pinching it all together, so it stays sealed. If you toss a little potato starch on the sheet you reserve them on it will help keep them from sticking and add a little more crunch to the sear when you cook them – but it’s not required. Honestly, most of my cooking methods are “not required” – but I think cooking is about having fun, being creative, and playing with flavors.

Grab a Friend and Start Filling Your Potstickers

I made this dish with leftover boiled potatoes and a cut of beef steak (both local) that I already had in the fridge. I’d say 1 large, or 2 medium-sized potatoes will provide more than enough for 15-20 wontons. You could also use any other type of protein, ground would work best for this dish, and I recommend beef, pork, lamb, or even goat.

This recipe is really all about a filling going in a wrapper, using potatoes and proteins as a base, find your own creative ways to flavor it!

Ingredients

  • 1-2 potatoes, cooked and lightly mashed in a mixing bowl
  • 4 -6 oz. protein, (pork, beef, lamb, goat) ground or small dice (utilize leftovers!)
  • 2 oz. dried currants, you could leave out or try substituting dried blueberries
  • 8 bottle shakes of fish sauce
  • 1 tsp of soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp of MI habanero jelly
  • 1 tbsp of MI maple syrup
  • 1 clove MI black garlic, minced & mashed
  • Pinch to taste: salt, pepper, crushed red pepper
  • 1 package of Wing Hing Brand Potsticker Wraps, found in the specialty vegetable section of my local grocery.

Mix the flavor ingredients into the already mashed potatoes to create almost a thick sauce, then add in the protein of choice and currants. Mix again, and you have your filling!

I could explain how to fold them, but I highly suggest you just type “how to fold gyoza” into Youtube and save us both the trouble! Here is a link to a good one.

Cook Potstickers in a Cast Iron Pan

To cook them, I recommend using a cast iron pan. Get it nice and hot with a layer of oil on the bottom. It doesn’t have to be a lot of oil, but it needs to cover the whole pan, so they don’t stick. Many people do these different ways, but for me I try to get a nice sear right away. Then I cover the potstickers with a lid. I then grab a cup and fill it with about 2 ounces of water, slowly lift the lid and toss the water in, quickly shutting the lid. This process creates oil splashing and steam which can be very painful if you are not intentional and careful in your movements. I recommend asking someone you know who works in the kitchen to make a living to assist you if it’s your first time.

Even easier – I recommend you just bake them in a 400-degree oven for 10 – 12 minutes.

For dipping, I recommend a little soy sauce & lime juice.

Alex Palzewicz is the UP Local Food Coordinator for Taste the Local Difference. Have questions on things in the kitchen? Send her an e-mail at [email protected]

Find more delicious local food recipes here.