Steamed Beef Dumplings – How To Make Them Pretty And Tasty

We’ve been making this steamed beef dumplings recipe for years.  They are so tasty, but I have to admit, the presentation was not the best.  Don’t laugh!  What it lacked in looks, it made up for it in flavor!

The striking dumplings I had envisioned are not precisely what materialized.  However, you can see that there is a huge improvement in the presentation!  Perhaps a little more practice will improve the looks of the dumplings even more.  I simply crimped the edges like a pie crust.

On Pinterest lately, I’ve been pinning lots of ideas for making pretty shaped dumplings with this type of dough.  Unfortunately, on this occasion, we had to feed the kids before open gym at school.  The dumplings were a little rushed, but what an improvement, right?

Although these dumplings are usually an appetizer, we often make them a meal.

I found the recipe for this dough by Melissa at HowToThisAndThat.com.  This dough is perfect for creating pretty details on your dumplings.  However, you will want to make a double recipe of this dough to have enough for 30 dumplings.

Click here to print the recipe. ◄

 Steamed Beef Dumplings

*Make a double recipe of this dough for the beef dumplings!

Dough:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

Mix Flour and Salt

Stir in boiling water.

Dough will be dry and crumbly

   In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, salt, and boiling water, stirring constantly with a fork.

Using your hands, mix, and form the dough into a ball.  Flatten the dough ball in the bowl.  Drizzle a Tablespoon of olive oil over the dough.  Press and fold the dough to mix in the oil and reshape it into a ball.  Then, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 hour.

After the hour has lapsed, roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness on a hard flat surface.  Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut circles from the dough.

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Option #2

If you don’t want to mess with rolling out the dough and using a cutter, you can use the original instructions for the dough below.  Instead of using the oil, add 1/4 cup of cold water.

Dough Recipe:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup boiling water

1/4 cup cold water

   In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, salt, and boiling water, stirring constantly with a fork.  Add the cold water and using your hands, mix, and form into a ball.  Cover the bowl and set it aside.

Divide the dough in half and keep half covered in the bowl.  Using the remaining half, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a ball.  On a floured surface, shape the balls into flat 3-inch circles. Repeat for the remaining dough.

Meat filling:

• 2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup finely chopped Bok choy
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 2 Tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
• 2 Tablespoons. snipped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4-pound lean ground beef
• *Cabbage leaves for lining the steamer

Directions:

Hoisin Sauce and Cornstarch

Mix the Hoisin and Cornstarch

Add the vegetables.

 Stir the hoisin sauce and the cornstarch together in a mixing bowl.  Add the vegetables and the salt and mix well.  

Add the meat to the vegetable mix.

Mix the meat and the vegetables together

Add the beef and mix well.  Use a 1-inch ice cream scoop to make the meatballs.  This made about  30 little meatballs.

How To Shape the Dough for the Dumplings

Place a meatball into the middle of a dough circle and bring the edges up around the middle of the filling.  Crimp the edges together on one side, turn the dumpling around, and crimp the edges together on the remaining side.  Flatten the bottom of the dumpling a little.  Repeat, using the remainder of the dough.

 Place dumplings in a steamer lined with cabbage leaves, to prevent sticking.  To prevent sticking together, the dumplings should not be touching each other either.  In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring water to a boil.   Place a bamboo steamer over the boiling water.  Dumplings should not be touching the water.  Cover and steam for 16 – 18 minutes.

Serve warm with the soy dipping sauce below.

Soy Dipping Sauce:

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Combine vinegar and soy sauce.  Serve in individual dipping bowls with a sprinkle of chopped green onion on top.