Venison and Chive Pot Stickers

Outside of General Tso's chicken, I think pot stickers are one of the most beloved Chinese culinary creations that Americans enjoy today. It's a dumpling that consists of two delicious worlds that are a match made in heaven. One side is a steamed and silky, the other is seared and crispy.

This recipe calls for venison but wild boar would be an awesome substitute. Keep in mind that part of these dumplings deliciousness comes from the fat content of the meat filling. So if you're going to be using venison, I would aim at using a fat range of somewhere between 15% to 20%. I also highly recommend double grinding your meat. This will distribute the fat more evenly throughout the meat creating a much more scrumptious bite. I first grind my meat with my Big Bite Meat Grinder using a large grinder plate, followed by a second grind using a smaller grinder plate. As always, ensure that the meat and all of your grinder attachments are well chilled.

Yield: 24 to 30 pot stickers
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Dumplings

• 4 Cups - Napa cabbage (thinly sliced)
• 1 tablespoon - kosher salt
• 1 pound - Ground Venison (between %15 - %20 fat content)
• 3 tablespoons - Fresh Chives (Minced)
• 2 green onions - finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons - Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon - Fresh Ginger (minced) about one-inch knob
• 2 teaspoons - toasted sesame oil
• 1 Each - Fresh Egg
• 1/8 Teaspoon - White Pepper
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• One 16-ounce package round wheat dumpling wrappers ( I like Twin Dragon and Twin Marquis brands)
• 4 tablespoons - Grape Seed oil or another high smoke point cooking oil.

For the Dipping Sauce

• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sorghum
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 Serrano chili, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Assembly & Dipping Sauce Directions

1. Make the dipping sauce. Combine all of the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and mix well until the sorghum has dissolved. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Assemble the pot stickers. Place the Napa cabbage in a large bowl with the salt and mix together. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the ground venison, chives, green onion, soy sauce, ginger, egg, sesame oil, cornstarch and white pepper. Mix everything together thoroughly using your hands or a stand mixer.
4. Squeeze the cabbage in your hands, draining off as much water as possible. Mix the cabbage into the meat mixture until it is incorporated nicely.
5. Fill a small bowl with warm water. 
6. Lay a dumpling wrapper on a clean counter or cutting board. 
7. With a pastry brush or your finger, brush a little water all around the edge of the wrapper to moisten. Fold the wrapper over in half to look like a half-moon and pinch the top center of the wrapper together.  
8. Begin folding the left side of the dumpling by holding the dumpling on the top, fold a pleat on one side of the wrapper about halfway down the arc toward the center of the dumpling. Press it into the front side of the wrapper. (This Can be confusing to read, so take a look at the photos to help you out. They don't need to be perfect).
9. Repeat the folding close to the bottom of the dumpling so that you have two pleats on one side. Continue the folding process on the opposite side. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Cooking Instructions

1. Cook the pot stickers. Heat a thick bottom or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the cooking oil. 
2. When the oil starts to shimmer, add enough dumplings to the pan ensuring that you don't overcrowd the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes or until they are golden brown on the bottom without disturbing them. 
3. Add about 2 tablespoons water to the pan and cover with the lid. (The dumplings will sizzle and start to steam right away. 
4. Shake the pan back and forth to prevent them from sticking. Let the dumplings steam for about 2 minutes or until the water has pretty much evaporated.
5.  Add another 2 tablespoons water to the pan, cover again, and steam again. When the water has mostly evaporated again and repeat one final time with 2 tablespoons water. Turn off the heat and keep covered for another minute.
6. Uncover and turn the heat back to medium-high and crisp up the bottoms. Repeat these steps for the rest of the dumplings. 

About the Author

Larry White (@wildgamegourmet) is a hunter, avid outdoorsman and former restaurant chef whose life revolves around food and being in wild places. He grew up in the foothills of North Carolina spending his childhood hunting, fishing and walking the woods as much as possible. He was lucky enough to grow-up beside of his grandma who was a phenomenal cook and the person that ultimately inspired Larry to become a chef.