Okay, let’s talk about dim sum side dishes. I’ve been craving some good dim sum lately, so I decided to just do it myself. Started off by thinking about what I wanted. Definitely needed some dumplings in my life. Not those fancy ones, just your regular pork dumplings. Found a recipe online, seemed easy enough. Rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
First, I gathered all the ingredients. For the dumplings, I needed ground pork, some veggies like cabbage and green onions, and the usual suspects like soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Mixed everything up in a big bowl. Oh, and the dumpling wrappers, can’t forget those. I cheated a bit and bought them pre-made from the store. Saved me some time, you know?
Filling and folding the dumplings was the fun part. Put a spoonful of the pork mixture in the center of each wrapper, wet the edges with a bit of water, and folded them up. I’m no expert, so they weren’t the prettiest, but hey, they held together. That’s what counts, right?
Next up, I wanted some steamed spare ribs. Black bean sauce is the way to go. Marinated the ribs in a mix of black bean sauce, garlic, ginger, and a few other things. Let them sit in the fridge for a while to soak up all that goodness. Then, I steamed them until they were nice and tender.
- Dumpling Ingredients:
- Ground pork
- Cabbage
- Green onions
- Soy sauce
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Dumpling wrappers
- Spare Ribs Ingredients:
- Spare ribs
- Black bean sauce
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Other seasonings
While the ribs were steaming, I whipped up a quick veggie dish. Bok choy, because it’s simple and tasty. Just steamed it with a bit of garlic and a drizzle of oil. Can’t go wrong with that.
Finally, everything was ready. I laid out the dumplings, the spare ribs, and the bok choy on the table. It wasn’t a huge feast, but it was more than enough for me. Oh, and I brewed some black tea to go with it. Gotta have tea with dim sum, that’s like a rule or something.
Dug in, and man, it was good. The dumplings were juicy, the spare ribs were flavorful, and the bok choy was a nice light touch. I was pretty proud of myself, to be honest. It wasn’t perfect, but it hit the spot. And you know what? Making it myself made it taste even better.
My two cents
If you’re thinking about making dim sum at home, just go for it. It’s not as hard as it looks. Plus, you can customize it however you want. Want extra spicy? Add more chili. Don’t like pork? Use chicken or veggies instead. It’s all up to you. And trust me, the feeling of satisfaction you get from eating something you made with your own hands? That’s priceless.