Shu Mai (Japanese Steamed Wontons)

Sue Lau's Note:

Small little wontons with an open top, common to many Asian cuisines (Similar to Chinese Shao Mai). Great appetizers for Asian meals as well as entertaining.

• Total Time: 32 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 24 wontons

• 24 round wonton skins
• 10 ounces lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons frozen green peas, thawed (about 24)

Optional Dipping Sauce

• 1 1/2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup dashi

Directions:

1. Stir together ground beef, ginger, green onion, soy sauce, sugar sesame oil and cornstarch in a bowl, until the mixture becomes very sticky.
2. Divide mixture into 24 parts.
3. Holding tips of index finger and thumb together, place a wonton skin on top and top the skin with a portion of the meat.
4. Gently press the meat into the"hole" made by your fingers coming together to get the wrapper to come around the sides of meat.
5. Gently flatten the bottom of the shu mai.
6. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and meat.
7. Place a pea in the center of the meat on each shu mai and top the meat with a thin coating of oil.
8. Place shu mai in a steamer basket and steam for 12-14 minutes over high heat.
9. To prepare dipping sauce, Combine mirin, soy sauce and dashi in a small saucepan; bring to a boil.
10. Boil mixture for 1-2 minutes then allow to cool.

Reviews

[Just Happy]

SHIU MAI is CHINESE, not Japanese. Other than that, it's on OK recipe. I would call this a fusion Asian dish as it uses mirin, which is from Japan and definitely not used in traditional Chinese dishes.

[steve in FL]

I made these tonite, but they didn't come out right.. the beef fat pooled into the bottom of the dumplings, so the meat didn't adhere to the dumpling dough, and were essentially a meatball rolling around in a pasta bucket full of grease after 12 minutes of steaming on low.. I used lean beef, too, so I'm not sure why this happened.. I made sure I wrapped them tight, and they looked fabulous in the raw stage, lol.. I will try this again using ground pork next time, for I love these Polish Shu Mai (LOL).. ;).. I will not give up..

[saternoutlaw]

I did try it and no matter where it was from it still tasted good! :)