If you’re here for the parenting and education stuff, don’t worry! I am still working on those posts. They just take me a really long time to think through, write up, and revise, so I like to scatter the easier food posts in between :).
I had a request to post more “dinner recipes” from a friend who has been following my food posts very closely. I am flattered to know she purchased several pieces of cookware on my recommendation, specifically to make the recipes listed on my blog! Since I know I will be making a ton of desserts in the next few weeks (baby and bridal showers galore!), I figured I’d squeeze in some savory recipes before shower season hits and y’all are inundated with pictures of cupcakes and bars and puddings.
Today’s recipe is Pork and Mushroom Wonton! Wonton always seemed so novel to me that it never really occurred to me to make it myself. It’s actually really easy! I was inspired to try making them when a friend told me how grinding your own pork is way better than using store-bought pork. She said that dumplings tasted so much better with freshly-ground pork, so of course I had to try it out with my new food processor. Never mind the toasty weather. Like I said before, warm weather is no deterrent for me when it comes to good eats!
I’ve also made these wontons with store-bought ground pork, but it’s true– buying boneless lean pork and grinding it up yourself is more tender and tasty. Not only do you have the satisfaction of knowing you ground up your own meat (whaaaaaat that’s so cool!), but you also know exactly which pork parts went into your “ground pork.” I used to get my ground pork at the local Ranch 99, and it was a little unnerving not knowing exactly what went into it. I’m glad I won’t have to worry about that anymore!
You can use shrimp instead of (or in addition to) the mushroom, leeks, cabbage, or whatever you want. Wonton are very forgiving, so experiment and enjoy!
I also wanted to note that our local Safeway sells wonton wrappers now, so I don’t have to make an extra trip to the Asian market to pick those up. Not sure if your “ethnic aisle” has expanded to that point, but it’s worth checking!
Serve this in a bowl of heated chicken broth and you have got yourself a perfect lunch for a cool autumn day… or, if you’re like me, then make it any old time you feel like it! I like to heat my broth with slivers of ginger before ladling in the wonton. Yum yum!
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Pork and Mushroom Wonton
Ingredients
- 2/3 pound boneless lean pork (or ground pork)
- 8 oz shiitake or oyster mushrooms,
- 1 teaspoon of ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine (or dry sherry or rice vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 package of wonton wrappers
Recommended: serve in heated ginger-infused chicken broth topped with sliced scallions (as pictured).
Instructions
- FOOD PROCESSOR: First pulse the pork until it is in small chunks. Add the mushrooms, and pulse until they are all finely chopped. Add the ginger, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar, and pulse until incorporated.
NO FOOD PROCESSOR: Finely chop the pork (or use ground pork) and the mushrooms. Place them in a bowl, add the ginger, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar, and mix to combine. - To fill the wontons, lay one skin in front of you. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center.
- Use your finger to wet two adjacent edges of the wrapper, then fold in half to make an isosceles triangle, pressing firmly on the edges to seal. (Honestly, you could just boil them like this, but let’s keep going.)
- Now this step is a little tricky. Dab some water onto one of the 45º corners, then pull that corner underneath the other 45º corner. Push the corners together to seal.
- An alternate folding method is to just wet the edges, then twist to seal.
- Be sure to let the water-glued edges set for at least 10 minutes before boiling, otherwise you risk them unraveling in your boiling water. If you’re really impatient to start cooking them, then start with the wontons at the bottom of your pile that you first folded, which will probably have set by the time you finish folding the last ones.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the wontons. Add just a few at a time, so they all still have space to float around freely, and let them boil for 5-8 minutes, or until they rise to the top of the water and the filling is cooked through. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon.
- Serve the cooked wonton in a bowl of heated ginger-infused chicken broth garnished with sliced scallions and enjoy!
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