Pork and Shrimp Shumai

Shumai are a type of Chinese steamed dumplings that are extremely popular in Japan. They are quick and easy to make- especially if you have your own steamer. They can be stuffed with many types of filling- pork and shrimp shumai are the favorite in my house, but there is no limited to what you can create.

Shumai is a type of steamed dumpling that can be found almost anywhere you go in Japan – it’s a favorite alternative to gyoza (fried Japanese dumplings) and can be found frozen or refrigerated in any grocery or convenience store. Shumai are versatile and can be filled with many different types of meats or veggies. These tasty dumplings are surrounded by a wrapper but open on the top so you can see the filling.

In the US Shumai are often filled with meat and a little water chestnut to give it some crunch, but in Japan water chestnuts are not that common but sometimes root veggies like bamboo, lotus root or carrot are mixed in with the meat for the same effect. The meat in shumai are usually flavored with a little sesame oil, soy sauce, sake and ginger to give it an authentic Asian flavor.

Shumai makes a great appetizer or entree – they are quite filling but they also go great with Roast Pork fried rice or some spicy hot and sour soup.

Pork and Shrimp Shumai (牛肉と海老焼売)

This is another Chinese dish that is very popular in Japan. The delicious taste and soft texture of shumai makes it a popular dish, and it is usually served with ponzu and spicy mustard for dipping. Some restaurants also serve it with chili oil.

Shumai are easy to cook, but they need to be steamed. If you don’t have a steamer you can use a double boiler, or you can use a stockpot with a steaming basket.

You can prepare a large batch of shumai and freeze them before steaming. If you steam them from frozen, double the time in the steamer to be sure they are cooked completely through.

PREP	COOKING	YIELD
15 minutes	15 minutes	Makes 16 dumplings

PREP	15 minutes
COOKING	15 minutes
YIELD	Makes 16 dumplings

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 TBSP Soy Sauce
2 TBSP cooking Sake
1 TBSP Sesame Oil
1 TBSP fresh ground ginger
Shumai Wrappers (Square Wonton wrappers work fine)
1 egg

Instructions:

Using a knife or a food processor, mince the shrimp finely into a paste.

Beat the egg finely.
In a mixing bowl, mix the shrimp, pork, green onion, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and sake until the ingredients are spread evenly throughout.

Form the shumai by brushing a wrapper with the egg, rolling the meat mixture into a ball, pulling each corner up the side, and then pinching them all together leaving the top unsealed.