Pork Stock

1. Prepare the bones: Place pork bones into a stock pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes or until foam starts to float to the top. Empty the content of the pot into a colander and rinse the bones thoroughly with cold water. Clean the pot thoroughly as well.
2. Make the pork stock: Return the cleaned pork bones back into the cleaned stock pot. Add scallions, ginger, wine, and water. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer. Occasionally skim the surface of any foam that floats to the top to keep the stock clear. Simmer on low for about 1.5 hours or until liquid reduces to half.
3. Set the gelatin: Season with salt. Strain liquid into a 13×9 inch baking dish and discard the solids. Cover with plastic and chill until set (at least two hours). Once set, cut a crosshatch pattern into the jellied soup.

Dough

1. Make the dough: In a stand mixer with a hook attachment, mix together the flour, water and vegetable oil. Kneed on low until the dough comes together into a soft ball that pulls cleanly away from the sides of the mixing bowl. The dough should be soft, supple and smooth.
2. Rest the dough: Cover with plastic and let it rest for one hour.

Pork Filling

1. Combine ingredients: In a small bowl, mix together everything (the pork shoulder, salt, soy sauce, sugar, wine, sesame oil, scallions, garlic, ginger and pepper) until it forms a homogenous paste.
2. Incorporate the gelatinized broth: Add the cubed pork soup into the filling and mix until combined.

Assembly

1. Prepare the dough: Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Make sure to always keep the unused dough covered with plastic. Otherwise it will dry out very quickly. Roll out each piece of dough into a foot-long rope. Cut the rope into 12 equal segments. Roll each segment into a ball.
2. Shape the wrappers: Working with one piece of dough at a time while the rest are covered in plastic, lightly dust the dough and your work surface with flour to prevent sticking. Use a dowel or a rolling pin to flatten each ball dough into a disk. Roll out the dough so that the center is a little thick while the edges are very thin. The thicker center will keep the stuffing from falling out and the thin edges are key to the perfect texture.
3. Fill the dumplings: To the center of each wrapper, scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling, making sure to also include the jellied soup. Gently pull up the edges of the wrapper and use your thumb and index finger to make as many pleats as you can around the filling.
4. Seal the dumplings: Place the pleated dumpling in the palm of your hand and use your other hand to pull together the pleated edges. Then give the dumpling a gently twist and pinch to seal.
5. Prepare the steamer: Spray the bottom of a steamer with nonstick cooking oil spray. Alternatively, you can line the bottom of the steamer with a few leaves of Napa cabbage or use parchment paper. Place the dumplings inside the steamer, with 1 inch spacing all around.
6. Steam the dumplings: Place the steamer into a large skillet of boiling water. Make sure no water touches the bottom of the dumpling. Steam each batch of dumplings for about 10 minutes.
7. Serve: Serve directly from the steamer with a side of the dipping sauce. Savor the goodness and reevaluate why you just put yourself through this instead of going to your local Shanghai Dumpling restaurant.