I always thought wontons were so difficult to make.
Much too difficult for me.
And then, I spotted them: A lone package of wonton wrappers near the produce section of Target for $1.79. For less than two bucks, I thought, why not? I can experiment. I can totally fail at making wontons, but hey, what if they were awesome?
So I researched some recipes and got to work.
Nate was already making his killer pulled pork for our July 4th cookout, so I stole a few spoonfuls to use as filling for the wontons. Instead of adding barbecue sauce, I stirred the pork with a little Maple Bacon Onion Jam; its caramelized sweet flavor balanced out the smokiness of the pork. With a sprinkle of chopped scallions on top, it was ready to go.
Are you ready for just how simple this is?
Resist the urge to put more than a teaspoon of the meat mixture near one corner of the wonton wrapper. I always want to overstuff these, but the wontons are at their best when they get a perfectly crisp seal. Once the meat is sealed, dip your finger into some water and run it along the two edges of the wrapper closest to the meat.
Flip the far corner of the wrapper over, forming a triangle to conceal the pulled porky goodness. (Use your fingers to squish out any air bubbles or pockets, which could cause the wrapper to come undone.)
For a little decorative flourish (and, because, like Iggy Azalea, you’re so fancyyyy), flip over the two corners of the wonton and press them down to seal them. The end result looks almost like a little paper hat.
See? You can get really sophisticated with your shapes, as seen here, here and here. I not-so-secretly harbor dreams of using some classic napkin-folding techniques for insanely off-the-wall wontons. Won-turkeys, anyone?
Repeat to your heart’s content, then stick ’em in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.
Can you believe it? Am I the only one who’s shocked here?
Next up, fried and steamed versions with traditional pork fillings. For now though, I’ll relish in my baked, BBQ-infused variety.
- ½ pound cooked pulled pork (Follow the recipe on CollegiateCook.com or buy premade)
- ½ jar maple bacon onion jam (or BBQ sauce)
- 1 package wonton wrappers
- 1 bunch scallions
- ½ cup water
- Garlic-infused olive oil (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix drained pulled pork with the maple bacon onion jam (or BBQ sauce). Add one teaspoon to one corner of each wonton wrapper.
- Finely dice scallions and sprinkle a few on each mound of pulled pork.
- Dip your finger into the water and use it to wet the two edges of the wrapper closest to the pulled pork. Fold the wrapper in half, so it covers the pulled pork. Use your fingers to seal it, removing any air bubbles. (It should look like a triangle.)
- Fold over the two farthest corners of the wrapper, so it forms a small crown. (Optional: Brush tops with garlic-infused olive oil for extra flavor.) Place each completed wonton on a baking sheet.
- Cook wontons for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool for a few minutes, so they're warm but not hot, and serve with low-sodium soy sauce for dipping.