Spicy Pork Wontons

Sweet, savoury, garlicky, juicy and tender, hot and sour, spicy pork wontons are a delicious combination of sweet soy sauce, raw garlic, roasted red chilli, and a touch of vinegar for balance.

Like many Asian dishes, the spicy pork wonton offers contrasts in texture and flavour. The texture is slippery and tender, with an almost bland flavour compared to the sweet pork filling. The wontons themselves are also bland when compared with the sauce, which brings on contrasts with its intense flavour, thanks to sweet Chinkiang vinegar, soy sauce, and a generous amount of chilli oil infused with fried dried chillies.

Use this Sichuan pork wontons recipe as a guide, and then adjust the ingredients in the sauce to suit your taste. Have Sichuan spicy wontons your way, whether you like them garlicky, sweet, vinegary, saltier or spicier.

Spicy pork wontons recipe

Total time: 60 mins
Serves: 6 to 8 

Ingredients

For the sauce:

2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
3 to 7 hot Chinese dried red peppers, stems removed
1 tbsp (15ml) toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
2 tbsp (30ml) soy sauce
3 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar (or a mixture of 2 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp minced fresh garlic
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

For the wontons:

1 pound (454g) ground pork shoulder
1 tbsp (13g) sugar
2 tsp (6g) kosher salt
2 tsp minced fresh garlic 
1 tsp (2g) finely ground white pepper
2 tsp (10ml) Shaoxing wine
1 1/2 oz minced scallions or Chinese chives 
40 thin square wonton wrappers

Cooking and serving:

2 tbsp lightly crushed roasted peanuts (if desired)
2 tbsp  minced cilantro leaves and stems

Preparation

For the pork wontons

Step 1

Combine pork, salt, sugar, white pepper, scallions, garlic, and wine in a medium bowl. Knead until well combined, and the mixture feels sticky, about a minute. Use teaspoon-sized amounts and microwave on high for about 10 seconds, or until cooked through. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed with more salt, white pepper, and/or sugar.

Step 2

Set up your workstation with a small bowl of water, a clean dish towel for wiping your hands, a bowl with the wonton filling, a parchment-lined baking sheet for the finished wontons, and a plastic wrap-covered stack of wonton wrappers.

Step 3

Make dumplings by holding a wrapper in the palm of your hand. Put a 2 teaspoon- to 1 tablespoon-size amount of filling in the centre of the wrapper with a spoon. You can lightly moisten the edge of the wrapper with the fingertip of your other hand. Dry the fingertip with a kitchen towel.

Step 4

Fold one tip across the opposite tip to form a triangle with the wonton wrapper. Seal the edges of the triangle as you fold. Pull the two corners on the triangle's hypotenuse just formed until they meet, moistening one corner, crossing them and pinching to seal. Place the finished dumplings on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

For the sauce

Step 1

Microwave chillies and Sichuan peppercorns on high until toasted and aromatic, about 15 seconds. Place in a mortar and pestle or food processor and grind until it resembles store-bought crushed red pepper flakes. Place in a saucepan.

Step 2

In a skillet, heat oil until shimmering. Pour hot oil over chilli/peppercorn mixture. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a medium bowl. Add sesame oil and set aside.

Step 3

In a small bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the chilli oil mixture. Set aside until ready to use. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks in a sealed container.

To cook and serve

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add your pork wontons and cook for about 4 minutes, or until they are completely cooked through. Drain wontons and transfer to a plate. Spoon sauce over the wontons. Top with peanuts (optional) and cilantro and serve immediately.