Finely shred the napa cabbage and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of the salt (from the filling salt) and let sit 5 minutes to draw out moisture. After 5 minutes, squeeze the cabbage firmly in a clean towel or between hands to remove and discard the released liquid.

Mince aromatics

Finely mince the scallions (white and green parts), grate the ginger, and mince the garlic. Combine in a small bowl.

Combine filling

In a mixing bowl, add the ground pork, drained cabbage, minced aromatics, soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, remaining salt, and white pepper. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or by hand until the mixture becomes slightly sticky and cohesive (about 1–2 minutes). Taste a small amount (optional: cook a tiny pinch in a spoon) and adjust seasoning if needed.

Assembly

Prepare wrappers

Lightly dust your work surface with the all-purpose flour to prevent sticking. Lay out one dumpling wrapper and keep the remaining wrappers covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.

Portion filling

Spoon roughly 1 heaping teaspoon (about 12–15 g) of filling into the center of each wrapper. Do not overfill to ensure a good seal and even cooking.

Seal dumplings

Lightly wet the edge of the wrapper with water (use your fingertip). Fold the wrapper over the filling to form a half-moon and press the edges to seal. Optionally pleat the edge for a decorative seal. Brush a small amount of vegetable oil on the bottom of each dumpling (this helps prevent sticking on the steamer liner). Repeat until you have 8 dumplings. Keep finished dumplings covered with a damp towel if not steaming immediately.

Steaming

Prepare steamer

Add the water to a wok or wide pot and bring to a gentle boil. If using, add ginger slices to the water for aroma. Line your bamboo or metal steamer basket with parchment (pierced) or cabbage leaves to prevent sticking, or lightly oil the steamer surface.

Steam dumplings

Arrange the dumplings in the steamer basket leaving space between them for expansion (do not let them touch). Place the steamer over the simmering water, cover, and steam for 8–10 minutes for raw pork filling (or 6–8 minutes for ground chicken; 10–12 minutes if very full). Do not lift the lid during the first 7 minutes to maintain even steam.

Check doneness

After steaming time, carefully lift the lid away from you to avoid hot steam. Check one dumpling by cutting open (or pierce with a skewer) to ensure the filling is cooked through (no pink for pork). If needed, steam for 1–2 more minutes.

Serving

Transfer dumplings to a serving plate. Serve hot with soy dipping sauce and optional chili oil on the side. Leftover dumplings can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen (on a tray, then transferred to a bag) for up to 1 month; re-steam from frozen for 10–12 minutes.