Tonkotsu Ramen
18-hour pork bone broth. Creamy, rich, cloudy white. This is a weekend project, not a weeknight dinner. Worth every hour.
Crispy bottom, steamed top, juicy inside. The potsticker technique makes them perfect every time.
Filling
Wrapping & Cooking
Toss cabbage with 1 tsp salt. Leave 15 minutes, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible with your hands. This prevents soggy gyoza.
Mix pork, squeezed cabbage, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, and white pepper. Mix vigorously in one direction for 2 minutes — this develops the protein and makes the filling cohesive.
Refrigerate filling for 30 minutes.
Place 1 tsp filling in center of each wrapper. Wet the edge with water. Pleat one side and press to seal, making 5-6 pleats. Stand them on their flat base.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add gyoza flat-side down in a single layer. Cook 2-3 minutes until bases are deep golden.
Pour in water carefully (it will splatter). Cover immediately. Steam 3 minutes.
Remove lid, let remaining water evaporate. The bases will crisp up again. Slide onto a plate, crispy side up.
Serve with dipping sauce: 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, chili oil to taste.
18-hour pork bone broth. Creamy, rich, cloudy white. This is a weekend project, not a weeknight dinner. Worth every hour.
2-hour version using chicken backs instead of pork trotters. Still rich, still real. For when you can't do the full 18-hour odyssey.
From-scratch green curry paste makes all the difference. Worth the food processor. Creamy, fresh, herbal, with just enough heat.
Sichuan mapo tofu: silken tofu in a fiery, numbing sauce of doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorns. Finished with a cloud of ground pork.