Pabb Pork Potsticker Recipe

Prepare cabbage

Place finely chopped napa cabbage in a bowl, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt over it, toss, and let sit 10 minutes. After resting, squeeze out as much liquid as possible using your hands or a clean kitchen towel. Reserve drained liquid separately if you want to adjust filling moisture later.

Mix filling

In a large bowl combine ground pork, squeezed cabbage, scallions, grated ginger, minced garlic, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (if using), 2 tsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. Mix thoroughly with a spatula or by hand until mixture becomes slightly sticky (about 1–2 minutes). Taste a small bit by cooking a teaspoon in a hot skillet to check seasoning and adjust salt/soy as needed.

Set up an assembly station with a small bowl of water for sealing, the filling bowl, and a stack of wrappers. Keep wrappers covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.

Fill and fold potstickers

Place one wrapper on your palm, put about 1 rounded teaspoon (about 12–15 g) of filling in the center. Dip your finger in water and moisten the wrapper edge. Fold wrapper in half to form a crescent, press edges together to seal. Optional: create 3 small pleats on one side and press against the opposite plain edge to form classic potsticker pleats. Repeat until all filling is used (makes about 35–40 potstickers depending on filling size).

Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp neutral oil and swirl to coat. Arrange potstickers in the pan flat-side down so they touch but aren’t crowded (cook in batches if needed).

Fry bottoms

Fry undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until bottoms are golden brown. Reduce heat to medium.

Steam to cook through

Carefully add 1/3 cup water (adjust proportionally if doing bigger batch) to the pan and immediately cover tightly with a lid to trap steam. Cook covered for 5–6 minutes until water has evaporated and filling is cooked through (internal temp of pork should reach 160°F / 71°C).

Finish crisping

Remove lid. If desired, add 1 tsp butter to the pan and let it melt, then let potstickers fry another 1–2 minutes to re-crisp the bottoms. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining potstickers, adding remaining 1 tbsp oil between batches as needed.

Combine 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp chili oil (if using), and 1 tbsp thinly sliced scallion in a small bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Adjust acidity or heat to taste. Serve alongside hot potstickers.