Yukichi Hattori’s Gyoza

Hattori uses coarsely ground pork belly instead of ground pork— he says the extra fat makes a difference. All the other ingredients are added by eyeball; this is an approximation, jotted down while watching him at work in his kitchen. 2-3 cups finely chopped cabbage salt 1 lb coarsely ground (or finely minced) pork belly 3 green onions, chopped 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp grated fresh ginger 2-3 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp cornstarch 1 tbsp sesame oil, plus extra for cooking 1 pkg gyoza wrappers (won ton wrappers can be substituted) Place the chopped cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle it generously with salt. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes then squeeze out as much moisture as you can. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the wrappers) and mix everything well with your hands.

To make the gyoza, place a small spoonful of filling in the middle of each wrapper. Dip your finger into a small dish of water and run it around the edge of the wrapper, then gather it up with your fingers and pinch around the edge to seal, forming little pleats on one side if you can.

To cook the gyoza, heat a generous drizzle of oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Place the dumplings in concentric circles in the pan, fitting them closely together. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then pour about 1/2 cup of water over them and quickly cover with a lid to let them steam. Continue to cook for about 8 minutes, adding a little more water if it needs it, until the wrappers are slightly translucent and the bottoms are golden and crisp.

Makes about 2 dozen gyoza.