Place the shredded Napa cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, toss and let sit 8–10 minutes to draw out moisture. Squeeze the cabbage firmly in batches in a clean towel or with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Measure drained cabbage — you should have about 1 to 1 1/2 cups packed. Discard excess liquid.

Mix filling

In a mixing bowl, combine ground pork, drained cabbage, sliced scallions, grated ginger, minced garlic, 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp white pepper and 1 tbs cornstarch. Stir with a spatula in one direction until mixture is sticky and well combined (about 30–60 seconds). This binds the filling and creates a cohesive texture.

Wrappers & Assembly

Prepare assembly station

Set out a clean work surface, a small bowl of cold water (for sealing), and a baking sheet lightly dusted with cornstarch or lined with parchment to hold finished potstickers.

Fill and fold potstickers

Hold one wrapper in your palm. Place roughly 1 rounded teaspoon (about 10–12 g) of filling in the center. Dip your finger in cold water and run it along the wrapper edge to moisten. Fold wrapper in half over the filling to form a semicircle, press at the center to seal. Starting at the center, make 3 to 4 small pleats on one side while pressing each pleat to the opposite edge to form a classic pleated potsticker. Ensure no air pockets remain. Place finished dumpling on the prepared sheet. Repeat until all filling and wrappers are used (should yield ~35–40 potstickers depending on size).

Cooking & Sauces

Pan-fry and steam (potsticker method)

Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs neutral oil and swirl to coat. Arrange potstickers in the pan flat-side down in a single layer, leaving a little space between each. Cook undisturbed 2–3 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.

Carefully pour 1/2 cup water into the pan (it will sizzle — use a lid). Immediately cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Steam for 5–6 minutes until wrappers are tender and pork is cooked through (internal temp 160°F / 71°C).

Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high to evaporate remaining water and crisp the bottoms, 1–2 minutes. When bottoms are deeply golden and crisp, transfer potstickers to a serving plate, bottom side up.

Make dipping sauce

In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbs black or rice vinegar, 1 tsp chili oil (optional) and 1/2 tsp sesame oil. Stir and adjust to taste. For fresh heat, add sliced scallion or minced chili.

Serve

Serve potstickers hot with dipping sauce. Provide chopsticks or small forks. Leftovers: refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; re-crisp in a skillet or oven.