smashed pork dumpling tacos
a take on tik tok's viral smash burger tacos
i’m not on tik tok but i know that just because i’m not there doesn’t mean the viral content that lives there doesn’t reach me. i can’t prove it to be 100% true, but i think we all know that most, if not all, of the content we doomscroll through on instagram reels or youtube shorts is likely originally from tik tok or, at the very least, repurposed and posted there, too.
so it doesn’t surprise me at all when i see a “new” viral recipe on instagram and find out that it’s not only from tik tok, but, like, so two weeks ago. smash burger tacos—which take raw ground beef, spread it onto a tortilla, cook it smash burger-style, then top it like a burger to be eaten like a taco—are just one example.
i wouldn’t normally hop on a trend recipe train (though sometimes, i do), but when i saw farideh’s koobideh but smashed on tortillas it kind of got lodged in my brain. as i tossed and turned trying to fall asleep one night, i had a thought: what if you applied the smash burger taco technique (lol) to dumplings? i leaned over to write myself a quick note to try it out, and when i woke up the next day i knew i had to follow through. i then tested and tasted them, and now we’re here.
i admit i had the audacity to think that this was something new, something never thought of or attempted before, but as i was scrolling my feed a few days after drafting this very newsletter, i came across a similar take (i’m sure there are many more out there, but i dare not look). i was quickly humbled, ego shattered, but figured i’d done my own work and should publish this anyway.
i make no claims about these being “easier!” or “better!” than other boiled or pan fried pork dumplings, because that’s simply not true and entirely subjective. i do think they could be a bit quicker to make as no folding is required and more filling is used with each wrapper so you simply don’t have that many to make. i think these are really delicious, playful and showcase the fun that you can have with trends, so i guess i owe tik-tok-trickle-down-video-nomics a thank you.
while i went with my favorite, simplest pork filling here, i think these would also be really good with a cumin lamb filling (like this one) and some cilantro instead of green cabbage. if you want to keep things super simple and more streamlined, skip the sesame sauce and instead serve with a more classic dumpling dip of soy sauce, black vinegar and chili crisp. i found these to be a filling meal for two when served with steamed white rice, but you could also make them as a side or appetizer with a larger spread and feed between four and six with the recipe as written.
makes 14; serves 2 as a meal, 4-6 as an appetizer or side
for the filling, can be made a day in advance
10 grams ginger
2 scallions
250 grams ground pork (you can also use a 50/50 mix of pork and beef)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
for the sauce, can be made up to 3 days in advance
2 tablespoons chinese sesame paste (substitute: tahini, but i recommend seeking out chinese sesame paste as it uses toasted sesame seeds and offers a much nuttier, stronger flavor)
1 teaspoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon miso (you can use white or red miso, whatever you have on hand)
1 tablespoon chili crisp
1 tablespoon black rice vinegar (substitute: rice wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
to assemble and serve
25 grams green cabbage
14 dumpling wrappers (i prefer square ones, but round ones would work, too and definitely give a more taco-like appearance)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
vegetable oil for frying
use a fine grater or microplane to grate the ginger (no need to peel) into a medium bowl; use a teaspoon to remove and reserve 1 teaspoon for the sauce. remove and discard the root end of the scallions and thinly slice up to the greens. add the whites to the bowl with the ginger and chop the greens into 2-inch/5 cm lengths then thinly slice lengthwise and add to a small bowl with some cold water.
add the pork, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, white pepper and salt to the bowl with the ginger and scallion whites and use a pair of chopsticks or a spoon to stir the mixture in one direction (either clockwise or counterclockwise, just not both as the one way motion helps the filling have a nicer texture and remain juicy by aligning the proteins in the ground meat). once everything is mostly integrated, add the water and keep stirring until the mixture turns very sticky and starts to form one large ball. store, covered in the fridge, for up to one day before using.
to make the sauce, add all of the ingredients to a bowl with the reserved teaspoon of grated ginger and whisk to combine. taste and season with more chili crisp, soy sauce, vinegar or sugar as desired. i like my sauce on the thicker side, but if the mixture is too thick for your add a bit more water; if it’s too thin add some more sesame paste. store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
very thinly slice the green cabbage and set aside in a bowl. place a dumpling wrapper into the palm of your hand and scoop one tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. use the back of the spoon to press and move the filling to the edges of the wrapper, spreading it as evenly over the wrapper from edge to edge as you can. depending on the size of your wrapper you may use more less than a tablespoon to get an even, relatively thin layer edge to edge. set, meat-side up, onto a large plate and repeat until all the wrappers and filling have been used, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add about 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. once hot, add a few dumplings meat-side down into the pan and use a spatula to gently press the meat into even contact with the pan. once the meat is charred and brown, about 2-3 minutes, flip each dumpling and fold in half to make rectangular or triangular dumpling tacos. let cook until the dumpling wrapper is golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side. transfer to a plate. add some more vegetable oil to the pan if needed, then repeat until all the dumpling tacos have been cooked.
to serve, open your taco and add a little bit of the cabbage. drain the scallion greens and pat dry, then add a few strands to each taco (i forgot to do this when snapping the pictures for the recipe, so that’s why you don’t see them in the photos). drizzle some sauce over each and serve immediately with extra sauce on the side for dipping.
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