Pork Dumpling Filling
with Garlic Chives

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This pork dumpling filling is deliciously fragrant, with mild garlic and umami flavours, and is a classic recipe for filling Chinese dumplings. It's quick and easy to mix up, and you can use it for all your dumplings!

The garlic chives in this pork dumpling filling provide subtle flavour without being overly powerful, pungent and 'garlicky'. Their taste mellows when cooked and complements the pork nicely, which itself is not a strongly flavoured meat. Together with added seasoning, the blend of flavours is oh-so-satisfying!

Garlic chives, sometimes called Chinese chives (韭菜, jiǔcài), differ from ordinary chives in that, as the name suggests, they are more garlic-flavoured, whereas ordinary chives are more onion-flavoured. They are used quite often in Asian cooking and can be found in most Asian groceries and supermarkets. If you can't find garlic chives where you are, you can use a combination of ordinary chives, garlic and leek to mimic the flavour profile.

For maximum richness and flavour, this pork dumpling filling is best made with mince that has some fat to it - pork shoulder is a good cut to use for mince, if you have the option. But feel free to use whatever type of mince best suits your tastes and preferences - it will still be delicious! It's hard to go wrong with this filling, as you simply adjust the ingredients and seasonings to personalise it for your palette.

Once mixed, it's recommended to use the filling straightaway in your Chinese dumplings. If the mixture sits around for too long, the chives begin wilting and release moisture, which can make the filling too thin and wet to work with. I would not recommend freezing the filling, as the defrosting process introduces too much moisture, making it impractical to use for dumplings.

I tend to use this pork dumpling filling for boiled Chinese dumplings (shuǐjiǎo | 水饺), but it is also popularly used to fill pan fried Chinese dumplings (guōtiē | 锅贴), aka 'pot stickers'. You could easily use this filling for steamed dumplings (zhēng jiǎo | 蒸饺) as well - whatever takes your fancy!

For a variation of this pork dumpling filling, have a look at this dumpling filling recipe. Take a look at this dumpling wrappers recipe if you'd like to make your own at home (highly recommended). And don't forget to make a dipping sauce for your dumplings for a flavour boost!

Dumplings are particularly popular at Chinese New Year and one of the lucky foods to eat, as their typical crescent shape is considered a good luck symbol for bringing wealth and fortune in the new year. Other foods to enjoy at Chinese New Year include:

Here's what you'll need or this pork dumpling filling:
(Click here to jump straight to the recipe)

250g pork mince
1 large egg
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 Tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
2 stalks spring onions
100g garlic chives
2 tsp sesame oil

And here's what you'll need to do:

Rinse and thinly slice the spring onions.
Put them in a frying pan with some oil over medium heat, and cook gently until fragrant. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, rinse the garlic chives, cut off the hard ends and thinly slice the green tops.
Put them in a bowl with the sesame oil, stirring until all the chives are coated.

Put the pork mince, egg, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing cooking wine, white pepper and spring onions in a mixing bowl.
Using chopsticks or a large metal spoon, stir everything together, continuously in one direction, until the mixture thickens and has a paste-like consistency.
When you are ready to wrap your dumplings, add the garlic chives to the pork mixture, and stir through until combined. Use immediately.