Are these not the cutest little parcels you want to treat your family and friends to? I came up with this recipe when I had leftover Korean-style braised beef shortribs in the freezer that wasn't enough for a full meal so I had to think of a way to stretch it into one. You can use half of my recipe for Braised Beef Shortribs, Korean-Style in this shumai recipe. The other half can be reserved for another meal (or work lunch) lusciously ladled over steamed rice. It also freezes very well for up to a couple of months, to be eaten another day.
Notes:
1. If you happen to have another type of tender braised meat on hand, like a traditional beef stew, you can sub it in this recipe - you will need about 1.5 C of meat, diced small.
2. I use store-bought dumpling wrappers. Ideally, look for frozen wrappers that do not contain preservatives. Also thinner wrappers yield prettier shumai's (softer ruffles) when you go to bundle them up. You may have to experiment with a few brands. My favorite wrappers happen to be frozen gyoza wrappers from a Japanese store. If you make your own wrappers, massive props to you!
3. The scallion "ribbon" is mostly for presentation and not a must-do as you will see from the method outlined in the recipe below. I'll be honest, the scallion ribbon can be tricky - I have about a 20% breakage rate when I go to tie the scallion around the shumai. So be gentle, remembering it is decorative and not solely to hold the shumai shape. But don't be discouraged! "Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty". Theodore Roosevelt said it. Um, hello? Are you still there?
If you're still with me, the recipe is as follows. :)
Braised Beef Shortribs + Glutinous Rice Shumai
Recipe makes approx 80-85 shumai (serves 4-5).
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lbs Braised beef shortribs (you can use half of my recipe for Braised Beef Shortribs, Korean-Style) {see also Note 1 above}
1 1/2 C cooked glutinous rice (aka "sweet rice" or "sticky rice") made from about 1 C of uncooked grains
1 1/4 C frozen corn (leave frozen until ready to mix into filling mixture for less breakage)
85 (approx) round or square dumpling wrappers {see also Note 2 above}
3-4 scallions, green parts only sliced lengthwise into long skinny strands {see Note 3 above}
METHOD
1. Cook the glutinous rice according to package directions. This usually takes about 20-25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, pull the shortribs off the bones and cut the meat into small pieces, just a bit bigger than the size of the corn. Set aside.
3. Prepare the steamer while the rice is still cooking. To prevent the shumai from sticking to the steamer basket during cooking, line it with parchment paper. If you have parchment circles (intended for baking round cakes) then use it! If not, make your own circle by following my pictorial How-To below:
(1) Start by cutting out a square piece of parchment paper a smidge bigger that the steam basket. (2) Fold in half to a rectangle. (3) Fold in half again, a second time into a square. (4) Fold it into a "flattened cone" shape by hold the center corner of your folded-up square and roll the other side about 3 times like an ice-cream cone. (5) Flatten the cone, line up the point at the center of the basket and trim off the overhang. (6) Voila - circle! (7) If your steamer is not bamboo (i.e. stainless steel), you will need drainage so the steam condensation does not pool and sog up the shumai bottoms during steaming. I use a single-hole paper puncher to do it. This step is less crucial with a bamboo steamer like mine because it absorbs most of the steam, but I have done it as an example. (8) Ready!
If you don't have a hole puncher, an alternative approach is rather than one large circle, cut individual small circles just bigger than the shumai footprint and place each shumai on top. If at this point you're saying "this lady is cray cray", you can opt for small pieces of leafy greens which requires no crafting and less foul language.
4. Once the rice is cooked, break up any large rice lumps with a wooden spoon or paddle and mix it with the diced meat and frozen corn until evenly distributed. At this point you may or may not have to add salt or tamari (or light soy sauce). I have not needed to season the filling since the korean-style shortribs are very flavorful and intended to be served with rice. But as with any and all forms of "dumplings", taste the filling before assembling.
5. Now you're ready to assemble, factory line style! Start by laying out a bunch of wrappers. Add 1 full tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center of each wrapper. To form the shumai shape, gather up the edges and encircle it near the top with your thumb and index finger (pictured below). Squeeze firmly to create the "neck". Be firm enough that the shape holds by itself. If you are doing the scallion knots, take a strand and tie it around the neck of the shumai, taking care not to snap it by pulling the knot too hard (refer to headnote 3 above). If you are not doing the scallion knots, you may find that you need to squeeze the opening almost all the way shut to keep it's shape, so you won't have as much of a peek-a-boo effect as is pictured.
6. Place completed shumai on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover loosely with slightly dampened paper towels to keep the the edges from drying out while you finish assembling the rest.
7. To cook, place shumai's into your steamer basket. They don't actually require much room as they do not expand during cooking - just make sure they are not touching each other or the sides of the steamer. Steam in batches over medium heat for about 10-20 minutes. Yes that is a huge time range and that is because cooking time varies significantly based on thickness of the wrappers you are using. For the first batch, I recommend you keep checking for doneness. The filling should be hot and the wrapper dough cooked all the way through. I find it helpful to snip off a corner of the wrapper with kitchen shears to check if it is thoroughly cooked - if the middle is still opaque then it requires more time until the dough is uniformly translucent.
Also check that the water at the bottom of your steamer does not dry up. I like to keep a kettle of boiled water handy for topping up.
Serve the steamed shumai's just as they are, or with your favorite hot chili oil. You can also make a basic dipping sauce. My go-to all purpose dumpling dipping sauce is equal parts (1) tamari / light soy + (2) rice vinegar + (3) chili oil plus a drizzle of sesame oil. Enjoy! xx
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