Chinese Pork & Cabbage Dumpling Filling - as a Meatloaf

[MyBaliThai]

Has anyone taken their favorite Asian dumpling filling and made it into a successful meatloaf? I was thinking of taking our family pork & cabbage dumpling filling and making it into a free-form meatloaf - maybe adding an egg as a binder and brushing sesame oil on the top before baking. I love the taste of our dumpling filling but wanted a quick night adaptation (I am not the fastest dumpling-maker!).

Any thoughts? Anyone have any similar recipes they've made, steamed or baked?

I found recipes for Cantonese-style steamed pork "loaf" and some meatloaf recipes that people made "chinese-style," but nothing like I am wanting to try (something that tastes like a dumpling without the skins) - so I am wondering if there is a reason!

[sparky403]

sounds great but how bout making meat balls and putting them into an Asian soup?

[MyBaliThai]

You could do that - they would be great!

[greygarious]

Frikadellen (fricadellen) are common in northern Europe. They are a meatloaf mixture sauteed in patties, and contain cabbage. Mom used to saute shredded cabbage to evaporate the water, but this can be accomplished in other ways, like freezing-then-thawing, or microwaving. Having run out of plain cabbage, I once subbed drained coleslaw, and never went back. Now I don't drain - I count the dressing as part of the liquid for the fresh bread crumbs, to which it adds tang. I also use coleslaw in my meatloaf mixture.

I have experimented with using pork and pork sausage instead of beef, rye for the bread, including a little mustard and caraway.

I would suggest you add some bread to the recipe you've developed, since that will create a softer texture.

[meatn3]

That is a brilliant use of coleslaw!

[MyBaliThai]

I thought about adding bread crumbs, but I wanted to stay as close to an Asian dumpling filling as possible. We might experiment and add them another time, but we were pretty pleased with the result without them.

[MyBaliThai]

Success! I fiddled with our family recipe and steamed part of it as meatballs and baked part of it as a meatloaf. The verdict from 3 tasters was that both were great, but all slightly preferred the baked version (better texture).

Recipe: Chinese Dumpling Meatloaf
1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground chicken breast
2 eggs
1/2 - 3/4 cup minced napa cabbage leaves (green part only) with water squeezed out
2 large crimini mushrooms, minced
2 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated & minced
1/4 cup minced cilantro
3 green onions (green and white part), minced
2.5" piece of ginger, minced
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced water chestnuts
1 Tbsp Thai fried shallots
2 tsp Thai fried garlic
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp white pepper
--extra sesame oil to rub top of meatloaf

With your hands in a large bowl, mix all ingredients together very well. It will be a very wet & sticky mix.

Shape into large meatballs and steam until cooked through OR shape into free-form meatloaf, pour approx. 2 tsp of sesame oil on your hands and pat all over meatloaf. Bake in a 350 degree oven until done (I failed to write down how long it took!).

Enjoy with black vinegar dipping sauce!

[MyBaliThai]

More photos:

[StrandedYankee]

This sounds great, and like a fun switcheroo to do with a weeknight dinner. What did you do for side dishes?

[MyBaliThai]

We had a side of rice noodles stir fried with Chinese chives, also a side of Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce. Also condiment dishes of raw carrots, cherry tomatoes and raw red, orange and yellow peppers.

[LisaN]

Thank you. Did you buy a black vinegar dipping sauce or make one? Im saving this in my file to try!

[MyBaliThai]

We make our own:

6 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 or 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, or to taste (we do a bit more)
2 tablespoons water
1 green onion, cut into small pieces
Optional: add some hot chili oil if you like it (the adults in the family do!).

[baby_tran]

I think cabbage (assuming napa cabbage) releases some liquids when cooked (which makes dumplings juicy when encased in a wrapper). If you're OK with draining off your "meatloaf", it should be OK.

I've had the homestyle cantonese versions with pork and egg, salted turnips, dry salted fish, etc. but they don't usually contain fresh vegetables.

[MyBaliThai]

Our dumpling recipe uses salted and squeezed cabbage - to get some of the moisture out - I was also thinking of adding in a bit of moisture by using gelatinized broth mince - but maybe that would be too much and I'd be draining a lot of liquid.

[ipsedixit]

When I make meatloaf, esp. the Chinese iteration, I like to throw in some minced (or pureed) sea cucumbers.

It adds not only moistness without creating extra water (that you later have to drain off), but also a nice smooth mouthfeel that's not greasy or oily (which can happen sometimes when you try adding extra fat to create that sense of unctuousness).

[MyBaliThai]

Great idea! Thx!

[meatn3]

Those are some interesting qualities! I have never eaten sea cucumbers (to my knowledge). What sort of flavor do they have?

[wattacetti]

They're mostly gelatinous and don't have a whole lot of flavor.

[ipsedixit]

Sea cucumbers, to me, are best described as Jell-O like in consistency and mouthefeel.

High protein, no-fat food.

[MyBaliThai]

Great ideas! Thank you!

I figured I'd be using our family dipping sauce with any meatloaf - but it just seemed odd that I didn't find any recipes on the internet for this kind of thing, so I wondered if there was a reason!

I like the big meatball in a dutch oven idea and the cannelloni idea - and may try those too!

Anyone have any dumpling recipes that they think would be well suited for this? I am thinking it might be fun to try more than just our recipe!

[LisaN]

If it comes out tasty, please post the recipe, I'd like to try it. I like dumplings, but only made them once because it was so much work.

[MyBaliThai]

I will! My hope is to try it this weekend, but we'll see if I am that organized!

[gnomatic]

my mom use left over dumpling filling to make little omelettes. She freezes them and use them in soup with mung bean threads.

[ipsedixit]

Yes, you can.

But you definitely need a binder (like an egg as you suggested).

Also, most people don't use their typical dumpling filling to make "meatloaf" because it tends to be a bit too underseasoned (it's why dumplings are usu. taken with some sort of dipping sauce like soy sauce and vinegar).

[smtucker]

I like to take my dumpling filling, make a larger ball, wrap it in a blanched cabbage leaf, throw it into a dutch oven with some stock and vinegar... and let it go while I do the other "just home from work" things. Serve with some rice and you have a lovely meal.

[hill food]

or instead of a 'loaf' use the store-bought dumpling wrappers and do something akin to an Asian version of cannelloni or lasagna - no folding.

[honu2]

Interesting concept -- you might as well give meatloaf a try. Generally, Chinese recipes don't involve baking (probably due to the lack of firewood in China for ovens). The closest dish that is truly Chinese but akin in taste to dumpling filling would be Cantonese steamed pork, which uses ground pork and various add-ins such as minced green onions, chopped water chestnuts, minced shrimp, duck eggs. The pork can be/is seasoned with soy sauce, dried salted cabbage, etc. then steamed in a glass pie tin.

It's kind of a down-home recipe. We ate it over rice with oyster sauce. If you use pork belly ground up (rather than buying ground pork), the result is usually very tender--but bad for your arteries.

[sr44]

How about making meatballs and serving with noodles?

[StrandedYankee]

It might be good with a side of noodles...something like lo mein noodles with veggies...

I haven't tried this, but I like the idea.