introduction
Dumplings, a traditional delicacy, are not only common at Chinese festivals, but also an indispensable delicacy on every family's table. Whether it's a reunion in the Spring Festival or a heart-warming supper in winter, dumplings can always bring intimate memories. The deliciousness of the dumplings, in addition to the toughness and thickness of the skin, is more important than the delicious meat filling inside. Adjusting the meat filling can make every moment you bite down, you can feel the fragrant taste, and the taste is rich and intoxicating. However, many people often fall into the wrong place when adjusting the meat filling, resulting in an imbalance in the taste of the meat filling. Today, we're going to talk about how to make that perfect dumpling filling.
Common misconceptions
First of all, let's talk about a common misconception - many people think that adding cooking wine can effectively remove the fish, but in fact it may backfire. Although cooking wine can mask the fishy smell of some raw meat, its use on the meat filling of dumplings may give the dumplings a strange odor. Especially in many households, the aroma of cooking wine may obscure the flavor of the meat filling itself, making the taste of dumplings complex and difficult to identify. Therefore, when adjusting the filling, it is necessary to say "no" to cooking wine and find more appropriate substitutes to make the dumplings more fragrant and delicious.
Preparation of materials
The preparation of ingredients for the minced meat is crucial. First of all, we need to choose the right pork, and we recommend using the foreleg meat, pork belly or plum meat. These kinds of meat are rich in quality and moderate in fat, which can not only ensure the delicious taste of the dumplings, but also not too greasy.
Next, in addition to pork, we need some necessary ingredients:
- Ginger: It has a natural deodorizing effect and can effectively enhance the flavor of the minced meat.
- Chives: Adds aroma and has a very obvious freshness effect.
- Salt: Basic seasoning, not to be neglected.
- Light soy sauce: Adds umami and enhances color.
- Ground white pepper: Adds a unique spicy flavor.
- Essence of Chicken: Enhances the overall umami taste.
- Dark soy sauce: Colours the minced meat and adds visual appeal.
- Cooking oil: Makes the meat fillings smoother and tastes better.
Adjust the minced meat steps
Next, let's move on to the specific steps of minced meat preparation:
1. Prepare the meat
Chop the pork of your choice into minced pieces. This process can seem simple, but for a better taste, it is advisable to chop the meat more delicately. The more delicate the meat filling, the smoother and tenderer the texture. In addition, it is important to handle ginger and chives. Finely chop the ginger and chop the chives into chopped green onions for later use.
2. Add ginger and seasoning
To the minced meat, add minced ginger, then salt, light soy sauce, white pepper and chicken essence. Carefully mix these seasonings with the meat filling, making sure that each piece of meat is wrapped in the seasoning.
3. Add water in portions
This is a crucial step. Add water to the minced meat in batches and stir in one direction. This is to allow the moisture to be absorbed by the minced meat, making it more tender. Slowly, you will notice that the stickiness of the mincing gradually increases, and it begins to develop a delicate texture.
4. Add chopped green onion and stimulate the aroma
Finally, sprinkle the prepared chopped green onions into the minced meat and stir with hot oil. Heat the cooking oil until it smokes and quickly pour it into the chopped green onions, which can better release the aroma of the green onions and add the flavor of the meat filling. Once you've stirred well, you're done!
Vegetable pairing
When preparing the meat filling, the combination of vegetables is also a link that cannot be ignored. Common pairings such as cabbage, leeks, shiitake mushrooms, etc. These vegetables not only increase the nutritional value of the dumplings, but also help to enhance the texture of the meat filling.
Solution:
For cabbage, you can chop it, marinate it with salt for a while, and then mix it after the water comes out, so as to avoid the water coming out of the dumplings during steaming, which will affect the taste of the dumplings. Leeks can be chopped directly, and shiitake mushrooms need to be soaked in advance to soften, and then chopped into fine pieces to facilitate full integration with the meat filling. Mix the processed vegetables with the meat filling and stir well, so that every bite of the dumpling can enjoy the freshness of the vegetables and the fullness of the meat.
Misuse of cooking wine
As mentioned earlier, cooking wine should never be put in the making of dumplings. So the question is, why is there such a statement? In fact, although the alcohol in cooking wine can remove the smell, it needs to volatilize at high temperatures, and the cooking method when making dumplings is mostly boiled, in fact, it does not give the alcohol enough opportunity to volatilize. This leaves an alcoholic aftertaste, resulting in an incongruity in the taste of the dumplings.
substitute
So, what are the alternatives? First of all, the combination of ginger and chives is an excellent choice, as they are stimulated by hot oil and have a great aroma, which can perfectly replace the role of cooking wine. In addition, new condiments such as white pepper can also add that unique aroma to help remove the smell of the meat filling and bring a richer flavor.
conclusion
Preparing minced meat may seem simple, but there is a lot of knowledge involved. In the process of pursuing the taste of dumplings, we should not only pay attention to choosing the right meat, but also use seasonings reasonably, especially those cooking wines that are often misused, should be decisively discarded. With the delicate combination of ginger, chives and other spices, we can create mouth-watering meat fillings.
Hopefully, this article will help you try to make more delicious dumplings at home! Don't be afraid to innovate and dare to experiment with different ingredients and flavoring methods, and you may be able to bring unexpected surprises to your dumplings. Head to the kitchen, have some fun, and maybe become a dumpling master at your next family gathering! We look forward to seeing your sharing, interacting with each other, and discussing more dumpling-making skills together!