Pork and Shiitake Pot Stickers

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 8 servings cornstarch 
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil dark
• 1 tablespoon ginger fresh grated peeled
• 1 tablespoon garlic minced
• 0.8 cup green onions divided thinly sliced
• 14 ounces ground pork lean
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce 
• 5 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce divided
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 
• 4 ounces shiitake mushroom caps thinly sliced
• 0.3 cup water hot
• 40  round wonton wrappers 
• 1.5 tablespoons sambal oelek fresh (ground chile paste)

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• whisk
• pot
• microwave

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat.
2. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.
3. Add 1/2 cup onions, garlic, ginger, and mushrooms; stir-fry 3 minutes.
4. Remove from pan; cool slightly.
5. Combine mushroom mixture, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, hoisin sauce, pepper, and pork in a medium bowl.
6. Arrange 8 gyoza skins on a clean work surface; cover remaining skins with a damp towel to keep them from drying. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons pork mixture in the center of each skin. Moisten edges of skin with water. Fold in half; press edges together with fingertips to seal.
7. Place on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch; cover to prevent drying. Repeat procedure with remaining gyoza skins and pork mixture.
8. Combine 1/4 cup hot water and brown sugar in a small bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves.
9. Add remaining 1/4 cup green onions, remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, vinegar, and sambal, stirring with a whisk until well combined.
10. Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat. Generously coat pan with cooking spray.
11. Add 10 pot stickers to pan; cook 30 seconds or until browned on one side. Turn pot stickers over; carefully add 1/3 cup water to pan. Cover tightly; steam 4 minutes. Repeat procedure in batches with remaining pot stickers and more water, or follow freezing instructions. After cooking, serve pot stickers immediately with dipping sauce.
12. TO FREEZE: Freeze dumplings flat on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch 10 minutes or until firm.
13. Place in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag with 1 teaspoon cornstarch; toss. Freeze sauce in a small zip-top plastic freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months.
14. TO THAW: Thaw sauce in the microwave at HIGH in 30-second increments. No need to thaw pot stickers.
15. TO REHEAT: Follow recipe instructions for cooking, placing frozen dumplings in pan and increasing steaming time by 2 minutes.