Pork Gyoza with Honey-Soy Dipping Sauce

It's "reveal day" for The Secret Recipe Club .............
.............. which is a fun club for food bloggers. We get to meet new friends and discover other blogs. Here's how it works; each participant is assigned a blog which they clandestinely scout out and choose one special recipe from. The recipe is then prepared, photographed and "revealed" on a given day - which just happens to be TODAY!

My secret assignment this month was The Inquiring Chef, an intriguing, unique blog written by Jess who is an American living in Bankok, Thailand. Jess has an engaging writing style, lovely photographs and a myriad of wonderful recipes. I went back and forth, up and down, but finally settled on one of Jess's Thai recipes; Pork Gyoza with Honey-Soy Dipping Sauce which is similar to what we call potstickers, here in the States. 

I adapted the recipe just a bit to suit our taste, adding fresh ginger, garlic and cilantro to the pork and a bit of extra honey and sesame to the sauce. We loved these delightful gyoza and found the dipping sauce to be the perfect complement to the flavorful pork parcels. If you enjoy Asian cuisine, be sure to visit The Inquiring Chef and give these Pork Gyozas a try - you won't be disappointed!

P.S. I served these gyoza with a Vietnamese Salad which is actually tomorrow's post - it can be served vegetarian-style or with chicken for a delicious, light, lean meal that is bursting with flavor and freshness - you'll definitely want to check back for the recipe!

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Pork Gyoza w/ Honey-Soy Dipping Sauce

Ingredients for the Gyoza:
½ lb. ground pork
4 tablespoons green onions (green and white parts), very thinly sliced
¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tablesoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 egg

1 package gyoza, wonton or egg roll wrappers*, usually 24 wrappers
1 tablesoon vegetable oil

Ingredients for the Dipping Sauce:
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablesoons honey
½ teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 green onions (green parts only), thinly sliced

Directions for the Pork Gyoza:
1. Combine pork and next 8 ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine (I like to use my hands to mix). Place 1 heaping teaspoon of the pork mixture into the center of each gyoza wrapper*.

2. Dip your fingers in a small bowl of water and then run them along the outer edges of the wrapper to dampen. Pull the sides of the wrapper together, forming a half moon shape and pinch the edges together to fully enclose the pork. You can form 4-6 small pleats along the cut edges after sealing, if desired. As you finish the gyoza, place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet so that they are close together, but not touching. (Note: At this point the gyoza can be frozen or refrigerated until time to cook. If you refrigerate them, gently cover with slightly dampened paper towels to prevent the little guys from drying out.)

3. To cook the gyoza, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a pan that has a tight-fitting lid. When the oil is hot, place the gyoza in the pan so they are close together, but not quite touching. (You can make these in two batches if all gyoza will not fit in one pan.) Cook the gyoza, uncovered until the bottom side begins to turn brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Flip over and repeat cooking on opposite side. Reduce the heat to medium and gently pour 1/4 cup water into the pan. Be cautious, as it may splatter as it hits the oil. Put the lid on the pan and allow the gyoza to steam until the pork is cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking until all water has evaporated and gyoza are crisp and golden. Serve warm with honey-soy dipping sauce.

Directions for the Dipping Sauce:
1. Combine all ingredients in a small glass jar with a lid and shake vigorously to combine. Serve immediately or store for up to a week.

Notes:
Gyoza wrappers are round, wonton and egg roll wrappers are square. You want a round shape for these gyoza so if using the wonton or egg roll wrappers you will need to cut them into circles. To do this, divide wrappers into 3 stacks. Place one stack on a cutting board and using a 3 inch glass as a guide, cut around edge of glass with a sharp knife. Discard scraps of dough or save for another future use. Repeat with other two stacks, forming 24 circles.

Adapted from The Inquiring Chef

PRINTABLE RECIPE