Won tons....an Eskelson Tradition

These fabulous homemade Won tons are a great Eskelson Family Tradition. My father in law Mark,  spent 2 years as an LDS missionary in Japan, and my husband Adam served a mission in Korea. They both learned to love them while they were serving, and have since put in many hours making them for family. This recipe is definitely labeled as a Family Cooking Project. They certainly take some time, but the finished product is well worth the work involved. My kids are great at filling the won ton shells, we usually make them on a Sunday afternoon when everyone is available to help. We also make them at least once a summer while at Bear Lake with our Eskelson family...many hands make light work. The dipping sauce is another of Adam's fabulous creations.  This recipe makes about 100 won tons, so depending on how many you are serving (and obviously, how hearty of an appetite they have!) you could half this recipe if you chose to. The dipping sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a good long time, up to 2 months. My kids like to pour it on top of plain rice. Hope you try it.....I know you'll love it!

1/2 head green cabbage

2 onions

2-3 large carrots

1 T ginger

1 1/2 t salt

1 t red pepper flakes

1 lb ground beef

1/2 t black pepper

2-3 cloves garlic

1 egg

2  50 count pkg won ton wrappers (found in the produce section)

flour and water (1 part flour to 2 parts water)

1 C rice vinegar

1/2 C soy sauce

1 t red pepper flakes

1 t sesame oil

1/2 t toasted sesame seeds (optional)

1/2 C sugar

1. Chop the veggies up super small. We actually put them in a mini food processor, a few at a time to get them the right size. You want to be careful not to turn them to mush.

2. Mix the veggies, seasonings, and hamburger together. Add the egg and mix well. Adam usually just puts his hands in the bowl and mixes it all up that way. 

3. Mix the flour and water together to make a paste.

4. Lay four won ton wrappers out at a time in a square. Dip your finger in the paste and then coat the inside edges of the wrappers with it. You can see in the picture below which edges have the paste on them.

5. Place about 1 T of meat mixture into the center of each wrapper.

6. Fold the edges of each wrapper together, and press so the paste has a chance to seal. Repeat with all wrappers.

7. In a large skillet heat 1 T olive oil. Fry the won tons over medium heat (covered) for about 5-6 minutes. Remove the lid, turn the won tons over and cook for another 5-6 minutes (uncovered)

8. After all the won tons are cooked (we usually have 2 fry pans and an electric skillet all going at the same time to speed things up) pour the Dipping Sauce ingredients into the hot fry pan. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Let it heat through for about 2 minutes. Pour into a serving dish and you are ready to eat. We serve it with piping hot white rice.