Gyoza "For Good Luck"

Ingredients:

Beef ribs in marinade

• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots (half a medium shallot)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste, such as Hunt's
• 1 tbsp coarse salt
• 1 tbsp. l. mushroom powder
• 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp. Chinese Five Spice Powder
• 1 tbsp. crushed garlic (3-4 cloves)
• 900g wagyu or beef short ribs, preferably boneless, cut into servings
• 170g (usually 4cm high and 8cm long), trim off excess fat

Stew

• 0.5 cups olive oil
• Two 330ml cans of coconut soda
• 1 liter of chicken broth
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 8 star anise
• 8 black peppercorns
• 6 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped
• 4 large carrots, chopped

Pumpkin puree

• 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into medium cubes (about 300 g)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 0.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 cup warm heavy cream

Gyoza

• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 package of gyoza dough (50-54 pcs.)
• About 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Micro-cilantro for serving
• Chili sauce, for serving
• Edible gold leaf, for serving

Preparation:

1. Beef:
   
   Combine cornstarch, shallots, tomato paste, salt, mushroom powder, black pepper, paprika, five-spice powder, and garlic in a large bowl. Add the beef and marinate, covered, for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
2. Stew: Preheat oven to 160°C.
   
   Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add the ribs, in batches if necessary, and sear until golden brown on all sides, about 12 minutes. Add the coconut soda, chicken broth, tomato sauce, star anise, peppercorns, lemongrass, carrots, and remaining marinade and bring to a boil.
3. Cover, place in the oven, and simmer until the meat is tender, 2.5–3 hours. Strain the sauce and reserve the ribs in the sauce. Let cool, then remove the meat from the bones by hand. Set the meat aside and keep the sauce warm.
4. Pumpkin puree: Preheat oven to 200°C.
   
   Mix the pumpkin with olive oil, salt, and cumin. Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet and roast until completely tender, 30–35 minutes. Transfer to a blender along with the cream and blend until smooth.
5. GyozaIn a bowl, combine the beef and pumpkin and season with salt to taste. Place in a large bowl filled with ice.
   
   Using a small brush, brush the edge of each piece of dough, add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin filling and form the gyoza by folding 5 folds towards the center, making folds every 0.5 cm.
6. In a large nonstick skillet, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the gyoza in batches and fry until golden brown on the bottom, about 1 minute. Add enough water to come a quarter of the way up the gyoza, or until the dumplings are steamed through. Cover and steam until done, 2–3 minutes. Remove the gyoza and set aside. Repeat with the remaining gyoza.
7. Innings:
   
   Pour the warm sauce onto a plate, top with gyoza, and garnish with microgreens, chili sauce, and edible gold for good luck!