Ground pork

Mexico's most spectacular dish. Poblanos stuffed with a picadillo of pork, fruit, and spices. Walnut cream sauce, pomegranate, and parsley. The colors of the flag.

Sichuan mapo tofu: silken tofu in a fiery, numbing sauce of doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorns. Finished with a cloud of ground pork.

Crispy bottom, steamed top, juicy inside. The potsticker technique makes them perfect every time.

Korean twist on gyoza: kimchi and glass noodles in the filling, no pleating required. Just fold and pinch.

Ground wagyu instead of pork. Richer, more luxurious, slightly less traditional. Worth the upgrade for a special occasion.

Minced shrimp filling with ginger and chives. Pan-fried and steamed the same way. More delicate than pork, quicker to cook.

Shiitake mushrooms replace the pork. Vegetable stock. The doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorns do all the heavy lifting anyway.

Finely chopped shiitake and oyster mushrooms with pressed tofu and chives. Squeeze out all the moisture — this is the critical step.

Replace the pork with mushrooms, black beans, and amaranth. The picadillo needs more seasoning. Worth the effort.