The Long and Winding Dumpling Road

Arepa Dumplings with Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce & Powdered Pork

It is generally accepted that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line - unless that straight line gets Tangled.

I began last weekend with two very distinct points: start by making a dumpling dish and finish by submitting it to this month's International Incident Party, hosted by Penny of Jeroxie. But the journey between them proved more than a little bit loopy.

The first detour came with the definition of dumplings: at its most basic, it is simply a piece of cooked dough. From there, the dough is left wide open - dumplings can be made with a variety of flours, be plain or filled, sweet or savory, as large as a tennis ball or as small as a pebble, and come in shapes more numerous than I care to list here. They can be steamed, boiled, fried, baked and simmered, and are found in virtually every regional cuisine of the world.

As it was, I had been mooning over Andrea Nguyen's awesome cookbook Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas and More, so thoughts of delicious steamed dumplings filled my head. What would it be - bao? siu mai? sticky rice in lotus leaf? But soon after starting down this road, an unexpected obstacle led me to beat a new path . . .

The Tangled Route to Dumplings . . . 

Mr. Noodle once remarked that hearing me think out loud was like finding himself in my head - and he didn't sound particularly pleased to be there. As excruciating as my thought process may be to others, it eventually - if imperfectly - gets the job done. In this case, I set out to make a dumpling dish for Jeroxie's International Incident Dumpling Party and though the route was circuitous, at least I ended up where I was supposed to be.

The Journey Begins . . . 

If only my advance planning and organizational skills were equal to my unchecked imagination . . . As you can see from the convoluted diagram above, I had settled on making chochoyotes, an Oaxacan specialty of dumplings made from masa harina (used for making tortillas) and stewed in a simple soup. Surprise! What I actually had on hand was masarepa - an entirely different ingredient. Unwilling to make a trip to the grocery for a single item, I adjusted: chochoyotes - out, arepas - in! 

Arepas are a popular, traditional bread in Venezuela and Colombia; thicker than tortillas, they are often split open and stuffed with fillings, or served with a simple topping of butter or melted cheese. Since true arepas are more of a flatbread rather than a dumpling, I drew inspiration from gnocchi, an Italian dumpling traditionally made with potato. Instead of small rounded pieces, however, I returned to chochoyotes and shaped them flat with a small thumb indentation (similar to orecchiette). Next, my plan to boil the dumplings like pasta was nixed after a few test pieces resulted in an unpleasant gumminess, so I resorted to pan-frying, the usual preparation for arepas.

With the Italian inspiration still fresh in my mind, I decided to serve my dumplings with a tomato sauce and found the perfect one in Ms. Nguyen's Asian Dumplings! Though her Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce was paired with Tibetan momos, the author's own words revealed a fitting symmetry to my South American version:

"When you present dumplings with this sauce, the combination may recall an Italian dish, but the sauce's zesty qualities resemble the Latin flavors of Mexico more than of Europe. But on closer analysis, the combination of chile, ginger, herbs, and spices is definitely Asian . . ." 

(Andrea Nguyen in Asian Dumplings)

This sauce neatly bridges the distance between the Asian steamed dumpling that I first considered and the Italian-inspired, South American-based fried one that I did make. To finish the dish, I came across a topping that can be found on both sides of the globe. Whether 'powdered' (en polvo) in Colombia or made into 'floss' (rousong) in Asia, marinated meat such as beef and pork are chopped or shredded into smaller pieces resembling - what else? - coarse powder or delicate floss, which is then sprinkled over other foods such as rice and soups. To make Asian floss, the meat is additionally cooked in a dry pan or low-heat oven until it achieves a dried, light texture. Lucky for me, I had plenty of leftover Tequila-Lime Pork Loin Roast from our Cinco de Mayo meal - perfect for a powdered pork topping! My around-the-world dumpling dish was complete . . .

Arepa Dumplings with Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce & Powdered Pork

Arepa Dumplings
(recipe adapted from package of Goya Masarepa)

1 cup masarepa
1 tsp salt**
1 tsp baking powder**
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil

**CORRECTION 5/16/10: Yikes! I need an editor . . . it should be 1/2 tsp of salt and BP. So terribly sorry if you've tried the recipe and thought you were eating a salt-lick. 

1. Whisk masarepa, salt and baking powder until blended. Add water and olive oil, then mix until a soft dough forms. Cover with a towel and let rest for about 5 minutes, then gently knead until dough is a bit firmer;
2. Pinch off a small piece of dough (a bit less than a tablespoon) and roll briskly between your palms until it forms a smooth ball. Gently flatten by pressing with your thumb, making an indentation. Place on a pan lined with wax or parchment paper, and continue with remaining dough;
3. In a skillet or sauté pan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add dumplings in batches and fry until golden on one side, then turn over and cook through. Repeat with the rest of the dumplings, adding more oil to the pan if necessary. (Alternatively, place the dumplings on a cookie sheet and bake in a pre-heated 350°F oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until dumplings are golden and crisp on the outside.)

Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce
(adapted from Asian Dumplings by Andrea Nguyen)

The moment I read this recipe, I knew it would be perfect for the arepa dumplings; however, because I try to use what is already in my pantry before buying more, I made a few substitutions. For complete instructions and specific measurements, the original recipe can be found at Project Foodie: Asian Dumplings.

Yields 1-1/2 cups

Ingredients
(My substitutions italicized; see original recipe for precise amounts of other ingredients.)

Ripe tomatoes
2 Tbsps aji panca paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
Salt
Water
Fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Ground cumin
Fresh cilantro or mint (I used both)

To make:

Roast tomatoes under the broiler; when done, remove from oven and let cool. Remove skins, chop coarsely and place in small bowl. Add aji panca, garlic and ginger pastes, and all remaining ingredients, except fresh herbs. Using a hand blender (or transfer to a food processor), blend the mixture until smooth. Add herbs and mix well, then set aside to allow flavors to blend. Sauce is best served at room temperature.

Powdered Pork

This recipe was inspired by Powdered Beef (Carne en Polvo), shared by Erica of My Colombian Recipes, who also offers a variety of authentic arepa recipes that I've been meaning to try (hence, the masarepa in my pantry). To make this powdered pork, I added a step gleaned from instructions for floss (rousang) by cooking it again. I used Tequila-Lime Roasted Pork Loin left over from our Cinco de Mayo taco dinner, but any cooked meat such as beef, chicken or fish, may be used. Although only one ingredient is required, it does take a bit of time to complete.

1 cup cooked pork (preferably marinated or seasoned), cut into small pieces

To make:

Place pork pieces into a food processor and pulse/grind until meat is very finely chopped. Don't worry if it is moist from any residual juices or sauce. Heat up a skillet or wok, but do not add any oil. Add meat to dry pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until texture of meat is light, like breadcrumbs. This may take 20-30 minutes or longer but do not be tempted to increase the heat - the pork might burn or turn into sawdust. When done, remove from heat and let cool.

Place dumplings on a plate or shallow pasta bowl, spoon sauce over them and sprinkle with powdered pork. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve!

For more delicious dumplings, check out The International Incident Dumpling Party at Jeroxie!