Gyoza Filling (Pork to Cabbage after Salting)

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Ground pork (20–30% fat) — Higher fat content is essential — lean pork dries out; some chefs use 80/20 pork belly mince for maximum juiciness

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Napa cabbage, after salting and squeezing — Start with roughly 1.5–1.8× the target weight of raw cabbage; salt at 1–2% of raw cabbage weight, rest 15–20 minutes, then wring in a cloth until nearly dry

2–3 cloves per 200 g pork

Garlic, minced — Essential aromatics

1 tsp per 200 g pork

Fresh ginger, grated — Cuts pork richness and adds brightness

1 tbsp per 200 g pork

Soy sauce — Seasoning and umami

1 tsp per 200 g pork

Sesame oil — Adds nuttiness; add last — it is a finishing oil, not a cooking fat

1 tbsp per 200 g pork

Sake or Shaoxing wine — Tenderizes protein and removes gaminess

Shred or finely chop napa cabbage. Toss with 1–2% salt by weight and let stand 15–20 minutes until limp. Bundle in a clean kitchen towel and twist firmly to extract as much liquid as possible — squeeze in two or three passes, repositioning the cloth. Weigh the squeezed cabbage. Measure an equal weight of ground pork. Combine pork with aromatics and seasonings, mixing by hand until the mixture becomes slightly sticky and cohesive (protein development helps bind the filling). Fold in squeezed cabbage and sesame oil last. Fill wrappers immediately or refrigerate up to 4 hours.

• Weigh after squeezing — this is the ratio that matters; eyeballing raw cabbage will consistently produce wet filling
• Mix the pork filling in one direction only for 1–2 minutes until it develops a slight elasticity; this protein cross-linking keeps the filling cohesive during cooking
• Taste the raw filling by microwaving a teaspoon for 30 seconds before wrapping — adjust seasoning before you're committed to 40 gyoza
• Chill the filling 30 minutes before wrapping — cold filling is firmer and easier to portion without tearing wrappers
• If any excess liquid pools in the filling bowl before wrapping, drain it off; it signals incomplete squeezing

• Chicken gyoza

  Ground chicken thigh replaces pork at the same 1:1 ratio; add extra sesame oil to compensate for lower fat

• Nira (garlic chive) version

  Replace up to half the cabbage with blanched, chopped garlic chives (nira) for a more pungent, greener filling common in Chinese-influenced gyoza shops

• Shrimp and pork

  50/50 pork-to-rough-chopped shrimp replacing the pure pork component; cabbage ratio unchanged; adds snap and sweetness

• Vegan tofu and mushroom

  Firm tofu pressed dry replaces pork; shiitake and king oyster mushrooms (salted and squeezed like cabbage) provide umami and chew at the same 1:1 ratio

• Shumai Filling (Pork to Shrimp)

  Companion dumpling filling ratio; similar fat-content and moisture-control concerns

• Tsukemono Quick Pickle Ratio

  The same salt-draw moisture-extraction principle applied to vegetables in pickling

• Wonton Filling Ratio

  Analogous Chinese cousin; typically 2:1 pork to shrimp, less cabbage

1. 1.Japanese Farm Food — Nancy Singleton Hachisu
2. 2.The Dumpling: A Seasonal Guide — Wai Hon Chu & Connie Lovatt
3. 3.The Japanese Kitchen — Hiroko Shimbo
4. 4.Ivan Ramen — Ivan Orkin & Chris Ying

Confidence: high