Beef and Vegetable Potstickers

 

I've been on a real kick lately for potstickers... having never had them out anywhere, I'm really not sure what possessed me to buy the wrappers, and attempt to make them, but I'm so glad I did.

 

Maybe it's because the wrappers become sort of pasta-like when you cook them... or maybe it's just the fun of eating with chopsticks, or popping a whole neatly wrapped package into your mouth, and the explosion of flavors you get when you start to chew... whatever it is, I can't get enough!

 

Mr. Juggling Act has said that he doesn't mind eating these on a weekly basis... that's big.  And trust me when I tell you I don't mind taking him up on that statement!

 

So I was a teeny bit intimidated when I began, but I found a recipe for Savory Beef Egg Rolls and thought that the filling sounded scrumptious.  I made some modifications for my little potstickers - here's my recipe:

 

 

½ lb 90% lean ground beef

½ a large onion

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ a large red bell pepper, sliced

½ cup shredded zucchini

½ cup shredded carrot

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce

20 to 25 wonton wrappers

olive oil, for frying

 

In a large skillet, brown the beef, onion, and garlic with the soy sauce, salt, pepper, teriyaki sauce and ginger over medium heat.  Drain the grease off the mixture and set aside.

 

Take the thinly sliced and shredded vegetables and cook them until just tender in a bit of olive oil.  Toss with the meat mixture and then wipe your skillet clean and set aside.

 

To form the potstickers, remove one wonton from the package (wontons are like filo dough, you want to keep it covered and damp whenever possible so they don't dry out). Place about ½ a teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Brush two sides of the wrapper with a bit of water using your finger. Fold the wonton in half to make a triangle. Next, take the two ends and pinch them together with a little dab of water to seal it. Cover it with a damp towel, and repeat until all the filling is gone.

 

This makes a great big batch, so you can freeze these at this point if you want. Just put them in a freezer bag.

 

To cook the potstickers, heat a large pan over medium heat. Brush the pan with the vegetable oil once the pan is hot. Add about 8 potstickers to the pan and let them cook about 1-½ minutes on each side. Once each side has browned a little bit, add ⅓ cup of beef stock, turn the heat down to low, and cover the pan. Steam the wontons for 2 minutes.

 

In between the batches, clean the pan by pouring in water for the pan to deglaze. Remember to let the pan get very hot before you add the vegetable oil and start on the next batch.

 

 

(If you're making the whole batch at once, you can keep these warm in a 200-degree oven until you're ready to serve).

 

I serve these with some Teriyaki dipping sauce (store bought).  I hope you will enjoy these as much as we do!