Steamed Wontons and Asian Pork Balls

Wontons folded several different ways and arranged
in a bamboo steamer basket
Photo by Brad Sylvester, copyright 2012. Do not copy.

There are probably as many different wonton recipes as there are cooks in China. Like curries, every cook adds their own flair. Wontons make a great party appetizer or a component of a larger meal. They can also be used to make soup. Although they can be fried, I find that steamed wontons retain more of the flavor of the ingredients. My son was home from college for the holidays and requested that we make some of his favorite meals while he was home as a refresher from college food hall fare. Dad's wontons were on his list, so I took the opportunity to jot down my recipe and take a few photos of the process for this blog.

A standard package of wonton wrappers from the grocery store contains about 52 wrappers, this recipe will give you enough filling for an entire package with a little safety margin which can be made into Asian meatballs.

Wonton Ingredients:
1 package of wonton wrappers
small bowl of water (for sealing wonton wrappers)
Water for steaming

1 lb of boneless pork (ground)
1 can water chestnuts (8 ounce can yields 5 ounces dry weight)
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
2 tablespoons nam pla (fish sauce)
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
dash of white pepper

Wonton Equipment list:

Meat grinder (optional)
large mixing bowl
Bamboo Steamer

cutting board and knife for mincing garlic and water chestnuts
garlic press
Saucepan (or wok) for boiling water

Wonton Cooking Directions:
I prefer to buy pork whole, either a pork roast, chops, or cutlets --whichever is cheaper that day-- and grind it myself. You can buy ground pork directly and save this step, if you prefer.

The basic preparation of wonton filling is pretty basic. Mince or finely chop the garlic (2-4 cloves depending upon the size), grate the ginger with a ginger grater, drain and finely chop the water chestnuts, and then put everything except the water and wonton wrappers into the mixing bowl. Thoroughly mix all ingredients using your hands. Get right in there and squish everything together kneading and mashing until the wonton filling mixture has a uniform consistency.

The real work of making wontons is in filling and shaping. Using a clean cutting board, lay out as many won ton wrappers as fit with a little space between them. Place about 3/4 of a tablespoon of the wonton filling in the center of each wrapper. To seal the wontons, dip your finger in the bowl of water and wet two adjacent sides of the wonton wrapper. Then, carefully fold the wrapper in half, aligning the edges so you have a neat triangle. Gently press the top edges down onto the wet edges forming a seal. Press out and large air pockets, and make sure the filling stays in the middle and doesn't intrude into the sealed edges.

Wontons in various states of completion
Photo by Brad Sylvester. Copyright 2012. Do not copy.

Once the wonton is sealed, grab the two corners of the folded side and pull them down toward each other and away from the rest of the wonton as show in the photo. This will tend to curl the wonton, letting it stand up for an attractive presentation. Alternately, you can fold these same two corners over the main body of the wonton and then bring the top corner down over them, like a folded envelope. I prefer the first method because it leaves the top corner as a little handle with which to pick up and eat the wonton.

Once the wontons are formed, you can freeze them for later cooking, use them in wonton soup, or cook them right away. To cook them, first place a saucepan (or wok) of water on the stove and let it come to a full boil. The saucepan should be slightly smaller in diameter that the rims of the steamer basket. Place the wontons in your steamer baskets leaving enough space between them so they don't touch each other. If they do touch, they will stick together ruining your presentation. Because of the limited capacity of steamer baskets, you'll need to steam them in several batches.

Stack and cover the steamer baskets, and place them over the boiling water. There should be a minimum of an inch between the top of the water and the bottom of the steamer basket. Keep an eye on the water level so it doesn't completely boil away. Wontons will cook very quickly in the hot steam. I cook them for two minutes 15 seconds, but your time may vary slightly depending upon your altitude and exactly how much filling you put in each one. Start with 2:15 and cut the first one down the middle to check that the pork filling is cooked completely through. Adjust your cooking time as needed. The wonton wrappers will become soft and translucent as they cook.

Asian pork balls - wonton filling without a wrapper
Photo by Brad Sylvester. copyright 2012. Do not copy.

Serve the wontons warm with a small container of either ponzu or a good quality soy sauce for dipping. Leftover wonton filling can be shaped into small meatballs and steamed without a wrapper as Asian pork balls.