Pan Seared Pork Chops with Apples and Sage

It's not quite fall yet here (today's high is supposed to be 99 degrees!), but sometimes you just get a hankering for fall flavors.  That's what happened about 2 weeks ago, while I was digging through the deep freezer to find something to make for dinner.  I came across a package of bone-in pork chops, there were plenty of apples in the fruit bowl, and fresh sage in the herb garden outside--bingo!  Pork chops and apples. :-)

This is a simple, fast meal to get on the table on a busy weeknight.  I went so fast, I didn't take pictures of the cooking process---sorry guys.  It took me 35 minutes, start to finish...not bad!  And it's healthy to boot.  All you have to do is make a green veggie or salad on the side, and you're all set. ;-)

Pan Seared Pork Chops with Apples and Sage

6-8 fresh sage leaves

2-4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

4-6 bone-in or boneless pork chops, about 1/4 inch thick 

2 gala or golden delicious apples, cored and cut into 1/4 slices 

1/4 cup apple butter or unsweetened applesauce 

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 to 1 cup white wine 

In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  When it's hot, but not smoking, drop in the sage leaves.  Fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until crispy.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.  By frying the sage leaves, we'll impart that great flavor from the sage to flavor the oil, and use it to infuse the pork chops. 

Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.  In the same pan you used for the sage leaves, heat another 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Brown the chops (in batches if necessary to prevent crowding the pan) on both sides and remove to a plate.  It's not necessary at this point to cook the pork chops through...they'll finish in the sauce. 

Now drop the butter into the pan, and toss in the apples.  Saute the apples for about 6-8 minutes until they're nice and golden brown, but not cooked through.  Add the white wine, apple butter, and more salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a gentle boil, and put the pork chops back in, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate (don't throw that out...it's flavor for your sauce!).  

Simmer for about 8-10 minutes.  You want the pork cooked through, and the apples tender, but take care not to overcook both.  

Plate the pork chops and apples on a large serving platter, and pour the pan sauce over the top.  Garnish with the fried sage leaves.  

You could certainly add onions to the pan along with the apples, but that usually starts a riot with 2 of my kids, so I left them out.  Everyone loved the apples...who can resist warm apple slices and pork?  Not me! ;-)

David was home late as usual, but he loved this dish too, and took leftovers to work the next day for  lunch.  You'll notice in the pictures that I made 10 pork chops.  Four to six chops doesn't feed us anymore, so I usually double just about every recipe I post.  

 Let me know if it's getting cooler in your next of the woods, and if you're cooking fall flavors.  We'll be sweatin' it out here in southeast Texas for another month or so before we cool off, so enjoy it for me!  

God bless your table tonight!

BBQ Pork Chops with Mango Salad

David is pretty good about getting meat at the grocery store when it's been marked down.  Some people turn up their noses at protein that's about to expire.  But as long as you cook it right away, or freeze it immediately, it shouldn't be an issue.  We've gotten everything from brisket, to ground beef, to chicken quarters this way.  

Last night, my hubby came home with 2 big packages of chicken leg quarters.  There were 4 to a package...one was $3.30, and the other one was $2.40.  And, they were preseasoned with lemon-pepper to boot.  Good job honey! :-)

So...I will grill off that chicken sometime within the next day or two.  For today's post, I made some simple BBQ pork chops, and paired it with a cool mango salad...perfect to serve on a hot summer day.  It would be equally tasty with steak or chicken too!  I 

BBQ Pork Chops with Mango Salad

6 bone-in or boneless pork chops (more if you're feeding a family of our size ;-)

BBQ spice rub of choice

BBQ sauce of choice

2 ripe, but firm mangoes, cubed

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint or basil 

1/4 crumbled feta cheese

Juice of 1-2 small limes

Black pepper to taste 

Preheat your outdoor/indoor grill pan to medium high heat, and lightly oil the grates/pan.  Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with the BBQ spice blend.  Rub it in to make sure it sticks (this can be done earlier in the day to give the meat a chance to marinate the seasonings).  Grill the chops for 3-4 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer reads 135-140 (keep in mind it will rise a few more degrees once you remove it from the grill).  I honestly don't bother with a thermometer...I just poke  the meat with my finger...if it gives just a tad, it's done.  Just watch 'em...and don't make pork bricks!

For the salad...combine the mango, red onion, mint or basil (use the mint for a "fresher" taste or the basil for a "peppery" taste), feta cheese, lime juice, and black pepper.  This can sit out for one hour before serving if you'd like to meld the flavors.  I personally like mint...but it's totally up to you.  

Serve the pork chops with the mango salad.  You can also put out some baked beans if you have picky tongues at the table like I do.  

Well...I was pleasantly surprised to hear no complaints over this meal.  David, Rebecca, Theresa and myself all loved the salad...the other kids had baked beans and baby carrots.  So everyone got their veggies...score one for Mom!  I personally loved the salty, earthy feta with the sweet, cool mango...it was refreshing on a damp, rainy day.  

Enjoy, and God Bless your table tonight!  

Easiest Ever Pulled Pork

Here's another crockpot recipe that is EASY.  I mean, really easy.  And there's only 3 ingredients.  I've made this 4 times since Theresa was born, because a big hunk of pork can feed us for a week.  This time, I divided the meal...half went to a friend who just had a baby, and half was for us. 

Of course, when I went to the store to get the pork butt, I asked the butcher for the biggest one.  He promptly wrapped up a 10 beast for me...wow! 

I didn't take as many pictures as I usually do.  I meant to start the pork right before I went to bed, forgot about it, and realized my oversight at midnight.  Yeah...midnight!  So there are no "before" pictures because I was yawning too hard to take pics at midnight.  I know y'all will forgive me. ;-)

Easiest Ever Pulled Pork

One Boston pork butt, about 6-8 pounds (bigger is fine too!)

BBQ spice blend

1 cup apple juice

The day before you want to cook the pork, remove it from the wrappings and trim off some of the fat.  It's really up to you how much you want to take off, but don't take off ALL of it.  You have to leave some on.  Fat = flavor, and you want some fat to flavor the meat while it's cooking.  There should be a large cap of fat on one side...I probably took off about 2/3rds of it. 

Take your favorite BBQ spice blend and rub it generously all over the meat.  Don't be shy, you want to use at least 4 tablespoons.  Honestly, I didn't even measure, I just sprinkled it on, all over, and made sure to rub it in really good.  I love, love, love Penzeys' BBQ 3000. 

Return the pork butt to the fridge and let it hang out for 12 hours or overnight. 

The next day (or that night, whatever floats your boat), set up your crockpot.  Pour in 1 cup of apple juice.  Lay the meat, fat side up in the slow cooker. 

Set your crock pot on "Low" for 8-10 hours.  And that's it...you don't even need to turn it over...I didn't. 

By the way, if you don't want to wake up to the smell of pork in the morning, don't do this the night before.  Rebecca told me she woke up in the middle of  the night, and could smell it all the way upstairs.  She didn't mind. ;-)  Some people prefer the smell of coffee...I can understand that!

After 10 hours, here's the finished product...I let mine go 10 hours because it was so big.

Doesn't that look DIVINE?  Porkalicious baby!

At this point you can leave it until dinnertime, or you can go ahead and remove the meat from the pot.  I use a really big cutting board and shredded it all up...it should be so tender, you barely have to touch it to break it up.

Oh, and don't forget to take out the big bone...nobody wants that. ;-)  The kids were impressed by the size of this one!

If I have time, I try to degrease the cooking juices with my degreaser cup.  I don't take off every drop of fat though...you gotta leave some it, because that's where most of the flavor is. 

We love to eat the shredded pork on little wheat rolls...I get 'em at Walmart.   Don't forget to pass around the BBQ sauce too.  I made some cucumber salad and baked beans on the side.  I've served the sandwiches with coleslaw too, (which is REALLY good if you put it in the sandwich) but nobody really cares for coleslaw in our house except me...hence the reason for the cucumber salad. 

This is always a sure thing meal at our house...everyone eats it.  Best of all, now that Theresa is eating some solid food, she can have the pork, baked beans, and a bit of the roll, no problem.  She is really a good feeder. :-)

I hope you can make this on a busy night and have an easy meal all ready to go for your family.  God bless your table tonight!  

I'm Back...Grilled Pork Chops with Lemon-Shallot Chutney

Hi everyone!  I'm thrilled to be back posting recipes. ;-)  I've finally gotten over the last bit of nausea, I can go to the store without gagging, and cook almost anything (although chicken still makes me a bit squeamish). 

Anyway...

I had 3 posts in the the works before I got preggo, and made some awesome pasta with homemade pesto a week ago, so I'm hoping to get these up for you in the next week or two. 

First up, a really easy pork chop to celebrate the last bit of the grillin' season.  Here in south Texas, we can grill nearly all year round, but if you can't, don't worry.  The broiler or indoor grill pan will work just fine.  I saw this on Big Daddy's House Aaron McCargo, and knew this would be a great, quick meal for our busy family.  I also doubled this recipe, since 4 pork chops isn't quite enough for us.  Our camera card went corrupt on us, so I don't have step-by-step photos, but this recipe is fool-proof, so don't sweat it. ;-)

Grilled Pork Chops with Lemon-Shallot Chutney

(adapted from Aaron McCargo and Big Daddy's House)

4 large lemons, supremed *

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon (or rosemary)

2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives (or scallions)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of sugar (or more if your lemons are particularly tart)

Salt and black pepper to taste

4 (or more) bone-in pork chops, about 1/2 to 1' inch thick

Salt and black pepper to taste

Smoked paprika to taste (about 2 teaspoons or so)

Olive oil

Make the chutney first and let it hang out in the fridge for a while to marry the flavors. (*To supreme a lemon means to take off all the peel and white pith, and then cut away each lemon segment, much like you see a mandarin orange out of the can). 

Combine the lemon, shallots, tarragon/rosemary, chives/scallions, olive oil, and sugar in a medium bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and place in the fridge until the pork chops are ready.

Preheat your outdoor grill over medium-high heat and be sure to grease your grates well with a wad of paper towels dipped in vegetable oil.  If you are using an indoor grill pan or broiler pan, some non-stick cooking spray is fine.

Let the pork come to room temperature before you toss it on the grill, then the meat won't seize up on you...it will grill up nice and tender too.  

Trim away any excess fat, and season the chops on both sides with the salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.  Drizzle with some olive oil, and grill for about 4-5 minutes per side.  If you went with thicker pork chops, they will need a couple more minutes per side.  Just be sure not to overcook 'em.  People commonly make the mistake of overcooking pork...it should register about 155 (or just a few degrees more) on an instant meat thermometer, and the inside should be the barest shade of pink. 

Transfer the pork to a serving platter and serve immediately with the lemon-shallot chutney.

 

David and I loved the combination of smoky pork with the bright, lemony flavor of the chutney.  Rebecca loved it too...although she couldn't eat as much as the adults did.  The rest of the kids were indifferent to the chutney, but that meant more for us. ;-). 

I also had my hubby grill some roma tomatoes straight out of the garden to eat along with our meat.  Just cut 'em in half, toss with some olive oil, fresh chopped basil, salt, and pepper, and place on the grill, turning once until they are lightly grilled and soft, but not falling apart, about 5-6 minutes.  Easy and so good!

I hope you get a chance to fire up the grill a few more times and give this recipe a try!

God bless your table tonight!

Peachy Keen Pork Chops

I know Texas grows great peaches, and I'm not going to put down in any way the state I've lived in for the past 19 years.  But...I will say I still haven't had a peach as good as the ones I had when I lived in Georgia during my high school years.  Very, very close...but not the same.  I am sure it has to do with the climate, the soil, something is just missing.  Maybe it's because I still miss Georgia after all these years. 

I saw huge piles of peaches at the store earlier this week, and wanted to make some peach relish alongside some grilled pork chops.  This is easy, fresh, and just the perfect way to close out the summer here (even though it's really not going to cool off until November).  I made these over the Labor Day weekend, along with a Rustic Peach Pie, because I always get to grilling around those summer holidays. 

You can make the peach relish one day in advance, but it really will not hold up any longer than that...the peaches will get mushy on you.  It's best made early in the day, and then refridgerated until lunchtime/dinnertime. 

Peachy Keen Pork Chops

2 peaches, peeled and thinly sliced (they should be ripe, but not too soft)

1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

pinch cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

salt and black pepper

4 bone-in or boneless pork chops, about 1/2 inch thick

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Take the sliced red onions and put them in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes.  This will draw out some of the bitterness, and mellow the oniony flavor for the relish. 

Drain the ice water, and pat the onions dry on some paper towels. 

In a large bowl/container, combine the sliced peaches...

the onions, honey, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, mint, a pinch of pepper, and a sprinkling of salt. 

Allow the flavors to meld for at least 1/2 an hour before serving.

Now all we have to do is grill the pork chops.  Season both sides with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. 

Grill over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes per side.  Take care not to overdo it...pork goes easily from tender to a brick.  Pork bricks and peach relish just don't do well together ;-). 

Serve the grilled pork chops with the peach relish.  I made scalloped potatoes (outta a box...just because) and roasted green beans on the side.

This is one of those summertime meals that can't be beat.  And you don't have to heat up the kitchen to make it! 

God bless your table tonight

Messed Up Meatloaf

What? Are you thinking I've lost it? Well, don't worry, I haven't. Although my brain is at risk for overheating...literally. It's been over 95 degrees for nearly 8 weeks in a row now...with a heat index of over 100. Should I try to fry an egg on the sidewalk? What do y'all think? Oh, and at this very moment, the wind is blowing and there's thunder in the air...but you know what? It's all a scam...I'll bet you $100 right now this storm system will pass right over without giving up a single drop of rain! (And sure enough, while I was working on this post, the sun came out, there was no rain, and it's now 99 degrees instead of 100. Whoo hoo!)

Instead of experimenting outside....let's get going INSIDE my lovely air-conditioned kitchen and throw some meatloaf together. This recipe is about 5 years in in the making...I've made it dozens of times now, and I really think I've tweaked it to death. The best part about this meatloaf is the secret ingredient...and yes, your kids and hubby will never know.

I like to use one pound of ground sirloin and one pound of ground pork. The pork adds great flavor...and you don't end up with just a loaf of beef. And if you know me well enough by now, there's lots of fresh thyme, involved too. Lastly, I put bacon on top, because it browns up so well in the oven. I get complaints if I leave it off!

Messed Up Meatloaf

1 pound ground sirloin

1 pound ground pork

1/2 cup pureed carrots (don't worry, I'll show you :-)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 can mild Rotel, well drained

4 tablespoons barbecue sauce (I used a honey mesquite)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 egg

4 slices bacon

First things first...we're going to steam the carrots. Use your vegetable steamer and steam one small package of baby carrots until tender, 14-16 minutes. Save the cooking liquid at the bottom of the steamer. If you don't have a veggie steamer, you can steam the carrots in the microwave or in a medium pot over the stove.

Take the cooked carrots and dump 'em into a blender/food processor and puree the carrots to a smooth consistency. Use about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid if necessary, but you don't want carrot soup here, so use it sparingly.

And if you want to skip this step entirely, just buy 2 jars of pureed carrots in the baby food aisle. I had a bag of carrots in the fridge that needed to be used up.

In a medium skillet, saute the onions until nice and soft, 10-12 minutes.

I find putting raw onions in the meatloaf means the kids will see them later on, resulting in more complaints at dinnertime. Cooking the onions first assures they'll be milder tasting in the finished meatloaf.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the bacon. Use your hands to mix everything together, but be gentle...otherwise the meatloaf will be too dense.

Darn, I forgot the barbecue sauce!

Now, line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and pack the meat mixture gently, but firmly into the pan.

Have a sheet pan ready; invert the loaf pan onto the sheet, then remove the plastic wrap.

Place the bacon strips lengthwise over the meatloaf.

I like to bake the meatloaf on a sheet pan for 2 reasons. 1) You can wrap the bacon around 3 sides instead of just putting it on the top, and 2) The meatloaf cooks more evenly since 3 sides are exposed to the oven heat.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature is 165. If you haven't got a meat thermometer...I've been telling you to go get one right? Trust me...you'll love it...it'll be one of your favorite kitchen tools. Most of the fat will cook out, and make a mess on the sheet pan, but it'll clean up easy...don't worry!

Let the meatloaf rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with ketchup, barbecue sauce, or condiment of choice. I made roasted green beans and cheesy mashed potatoes on the side, even though only Rebecca and I eat the potatoes. I personally think it's a crime to have meatloaf without mashed potatoes.

This makes enough to feed us for 2 nights. I guess when the kids are teenagers, I'll be making 2 meatloaves...or more!

God bless your table tonight!

I Got Your Baby Back Ribs

I asked David what we should have over Memorial Day, and he said,

"How about those baby back ribs in the freezer?"

Excellent idea!

Now, I was up a bit late, and the lighting in my kitchen is not great at night, so I don't have pictures of the whole process, but here's where I was as of this morning. I'll post the pics I did take sometime this week...but in case you have a hankering for ribs today, I will tell you how I made mine.

Last night, the ribs were thawed, so I sprinkled them with smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. I didn't measure how much, I just threw it on both sides.

Then I made some homemade barbecue sauce...you can use your favorite bottled sauce if you're pressed for time. I let the ribs sit in the fridge overnight with the dry rub. This morning, I got them out, brushed them with some of the barbecue sauce, and put them back in the fridge.

Make sure you pour your barbecue sauce in a separate bowl--don't use it straight from the bottle/container. This way, you won't contaminate your sauce because you're brushing it on raw meat, everyone got that :-) ?

Now, all we have to do is preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Wrap the ribs in a layer of heavy duty foil, making sure to crip the edges tightly...we don't want any juices or moisture to escape.

Bake the ribs for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is VERY tender. Remove the ribs from the oven and set aside while you heat up your outdoor grill to medium.

Grill the ribs for 5-6 minutes per side. The goal here is to simply get a little char on them...they're already fully cooked.

Serve with your favorite barbecue sides...I made Pea Salad and opened up a can of baked beans. I do make baked beans from scratch, but we'll save that for another post.

Oh, you'll want plenty of napkins to go with the ribs too...and be prepared to lick your fingers. David likes his ribs wet, with LOTS of barbecue sauce. In fact, I had to make a second batch of sauce so he would have plenty ;-). Although...halfway through dinner, he did say,

"You know, these ribs are so good, they don't even need any barbeque sauce."

WHAT??? Did my condiment loving husband REALLY say that? Wow...that's a miracle...let me tell you!

God Bless your table tonight!

2 New Recipes to Try (or my version of "surf-n-turf")

I finally felt well enough to cook this past weekend. I made one dish we've had before, and one I've never tried.

Friday night, I made these:

Rum-Glazed Shrimp and Mango Skewers

Let me tell you, shrimp are great, but when you make a glaze with rum and baste them while they're grillin', they're AWESOME. And you can put in a little more than 1/4 of a cup of rum...it can't hurt right? LOL!

I made some roasted green beans on the side. We have green beans GALORE in the garden right now...every time we pick, we average 4 pounds every 5-7 days. I know...it's crazy!

And Sunday night, I made this (which btw, was SO good, I went to the store, bought another pork butt, and made another batch the following day!):

Pork Carnitas

I used cilantro and green onions from the garden (instead of thinly sliced regular onions), and David loved it. I was skeptical because I though for sure the pork would be tough, but it was tender and delicious. The second time I made them, I added a packet of Sazon GOYA (a seasoning packet you can find in the Mexican aisle of the grocery store). I am not sure it added anything, but I was trying to add a bit more flavor to the pork. Regardless, it was really good, and so easy to make.

We had black beans (right out of the can) and grilled corn-on-the-cob on the side. Grilled corn is a snap to make. Just take an ear of corn, and strip off all the husk. Rub it all over with some butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Wrap in aluminum foil, seal the ends, and grill over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. This is the easiest way for our family to eat corn-on-the-cob; putting the butter on beforehand means we don't have to put butter on all the kids' corn when we sit down to eat dinner. It really saves time!

I am having a little get-together at my house on Friday, so check back to see what I made :-)

(I'll give you a hint, it involves PASTA!)

Chinese Dumplings

I was watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay one night last week. This particular episode featured Chinese dumplings. As I was watching, I said to myself, "You know, I can do that!" I was glued to the TV...I have a DVR, so I made sure to record the show, and replayed it about 3 times so I could write down all the ingredients.

I know I've told y'all before...I am sorely lacking in the Chinese cooking department, and I'm really trying to remedy that. I made dumplings with my mom all the time growing up, and I've always wanted to try making them myself. At one time, my mom would make the filling and the dumpling wrappers from scratch. Later on, she'd use the premade wrappers because it took far less time.

I realize this looks complicated and time-consuming, but it really isn't. If you're worried about folding the dumplings, I'll show you a really easy way to do it (or you can come to my house for a lesson :-). And the filling is only 7 ingredients, so don't be scared.

Break out those chopsticks...and let's make dumplings!

Chinese Dumplings

2 pounds ground pork (you can ask a butcher to grind some for you, or get it at an Asian market like I did. Whatever you do, don't buy the bulk pork breakfast sausage!)

1 package silken/soft tofu (don't worry, you won't even taste it)

1 package (4 ounces) flat Chinese chives (look for them at an Asian market or just use regular chives)

2 medium onions, finely diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

salt and black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (available in the Asian section of the grocery store)

1 package (about 60 count) round dumpling wrappers

1 large egg, beaten

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Let's start with the filling. I had never heard of flat Chinese chives, but I had no trouble finding them at my local Asian market. They smell just like regular chives, but they're bigger and flat instead of small and round.

Chop the chives, along with the onions and garlic.

I used my microplane grater to grate the ginger. When I buy fresh ginger, I peel it, and stash it in the freezer so it keeps longer. Then I just grate what I need. It looks like a lot more that 3 tablespoons, but that's because it was frozen.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it's hot, add the onions, flat chives, garlic, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper, and saute for 6-8 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

Drain the tofu in a colander and pat dry with a paper towel.

In a large bowl, combine the pork, tofu, vegetables, and hoisin sauce.

Mix together well with your hands, but do it gently, you don't want to overwork the pork. The tofu should be well incorporated (a few small bits here and there is fine).

Now we're ready to fill the wrappers. Take out your dumpling wrappers and let them come to room temperature for about 10 minutes. Once you open the package, cover them with a damp paper towel so they don't dry out.

Take one wrapper in your hand, or work surface. Use your index finger to brush the edges with a little of the beaten egg. Place a small spoonful of the filling in the middle. It looks like more than a tablespoon in the picture, but it's just because I took a close-up.

Different cultures fold their dumplings in different ways. This is the way my mom taught me. I can't really show you...but basically the front of the wrapper is pleated, and the back is left alone.

The egg wash keeps the filling sealed in. It is important to gently press out any excess air so the dumplings cook properly later on.

Here's another pic of a filled dumpling.

Now before you start panicking and think, "There's NO WAY I can do that," relax! You don't have to fold it this way. You can simply close the wrapper without any pleating at all, like this:

And if you want to try it this way, with 2 simple pleats, watch this video clip:

http://www.5min.com/Video/how-to-fold-dumplings-3921

Line up the finished dumplings on a baking sheet.

At this point, you can freeze the dumplings. Make sure to leave a little space in between each one.

Pop the sheet into the freezer for 2-3 hours. Once they're frozen, transfer to a zip-top plastic storage bag for up to 3 months. They're ready to cook whenever you want to.

I ended up making 94 dumplings and it took me 2 days. I could have made them all at once, but I didn't want to totally neglect my chittlins. So I made 1/2 one day, and 1/2 the next, and froze nearly all of them. I filled wrappers for about 1 hour each day.

I am SO ready to eat! Let's cook some up!

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a non-stick skillet. Make sure to use your best non-stick skillet. These took time to make, so you don't want 'em to stick to the pan...that would not be good! When the oil is hot, place the dumplings in bottom side down and pleated/folded side up.

Brown for about 3-4 minutes...this is what they should look like.

Add 1/3 cup water to the pan, cover with a lid, and steam the dumplings for about 4-5 minutes, NO PEEKING! (The steam will cook the pork.)

Remove the lid and let them get crispy on the bottom again for about 4-5 minutes. Nearly all the water should have evaporated.

(*If you froze your dumplings, cook them directly from the freezer--no thawing is necessary. Add 2-3 extra minutes of steaming time so the pork cooks through).

While the dumplings are cooking, I made a very easy dipping sauce. All you need is soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil.

In a small dish, combine the 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil.

When the dumplings are done, remove to a plate and let them cool for a few minutes before serving...these babies are hot!

My stomach was growling so bad by the time I sat down to eat...if anything had interrupted me at this point...oh my...I can't even imagine what I would have done (probably something highly uncharitable).

It took me exactly 11 bites to devour this plate, lol! I meant to make 12...

In our house, on the occasion I do make Chinese food, we use chopsticks. Here's some information about chopsticks, just for fun :-). I will say proper etiquette concerning chopstick usage was important as a child in our house...my mom was pretty strict about it. And if my grandma visited from Taiwan, you can bet we were all on our toes at the dinner table!

Even if you don't try these, I had a great time making and sharing them with you!

God bless your table tonight!