now my pork dumpling filling's got no mojo (water dumplings)

[redgirl]

with much thanks to posters here, i now made lovely thicker-skinned cold water dough pork and napa cabbage dumplings. great skins - held up to boiling then pan-frying but i hated my filling.
i think i made it TOO pasty - really...it has the cooked consistency of soft cat food - not at all appealing. my daughter and hubby think it tastes 'ok' but both agree that the restaurant fillings taste 'meatier' than mine did.

so....help. please.

here was mine:

* For the Filling: (i doubled this recipe)
* 1 head napa cabbage finely chopped - salted (below) and then wrung out 30 min. later so no extra water
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 bunch finely chooped (or garlic chives) The garlic chives has flat leaves unlike the regular chives which has hollow rounded leaves.
* 1/2 pound fatty ground pork NOTE: HAVE IT GROUND VERY FINE.
* 2 teaspoons soy sauce
* 1 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* a bit of chicken aspic/gel
* a slug of good sesame oil

no wow meat flavor - filling fell apart upon biting into the dumpling - wished it was more of a meatball style inside - not super super tight but capable of holding it's shape .

???

[soypower]

I usually add a bit of white pepper because it seems to add a little something extra. Not sure how that would rectify the lack of meat flavor, but it's an ingredient to consider..

[ipsedixit]

Ditch the aspic.

Add a bit of MSG.

Don't overmix.

And what's "fatty pork"? Just use ground pork.

[GH1618]

I use lean pork — have it trimmed and ground fine. One egg for approx. 3/4 lb. of pork. Fresh ginger, finely minced. Perhaps you have a little too much liquid for the amount of meat. Finally — no sugar!

[fourunder]

I think you used too many vegetables.....

[caviar_and_chitlins]

hmm. I'm wondering about the all caps point of grinding the meat VERY FINE. That would be a texture issue, for sure.

I also add some chili paste to my fillings, and grated ginger! I also add a beaten egg to bind, and I never, ever add sugar to my dumplings. I don't use aspic either, but I can't see how that would hurt.

[redgirl]

oops... i did add fresh grated ginger (forgot to include that above). didn't use an egg...thinking that's a good idea. yes...not sure why the sugar.
interested in the possible addition of another kind of meat to get the full deep meaty flavor. thinking lamb would be too gamey???
and, yes, i know i made it much too mushy. that, i know was my fault. combine that with it not binding together...ugh.

[Cynsa]

add garlic and oyster sauce.
add chorizo or ground lamb to the ground pork.
or, add tiny dried shrimp to the ground pork
add one beaten egg.

[redgirl]

oh... here...before and after (but no photo of the falling apart filling)