If childhood proclivities factor into his overall assessment of whether he prefers the noodley dough or the flavorful insides of any Chinese dumpling, Little Brother Chinese Food co-founder Richard Lee would have to admit he has a history with Team Filling. Growing up, Richard’s brother ate all the wrappers and Richard would eat the fillings.
“Months of research and development went into getting our wrapper just right,” says Maine native Claire Guyer, Lee’s partner in both business and life. And the filling for the pork and cabbage jiaozi (a Mandarin moniker for dumplings) was adapted from a recipe made by Lee’s grandmother and aunt who came to the United States from China by way of Indonesia in the 1960s. Therefore, choosing which part of the finished product is more delicious is a difficult prospect for either Lee or Guyer.
“When you’re paying tribute to people you love, every aspect of the offering must be exceptional. Our jiaozi are so good, in part, because we love what we’re doing, we love each other, and we’re always trying to improve [the dumplings] through critical examination and experimentation,” says Guyer.
The couple made and gave away a whopping one million test dumplings before they officially began selling Little Brother Chinese Food Co. jiaozi in 2021. At Fork Food Lab facilities in Portland, the couple produces about 15,000 dumplings a month, in varieties that include pork and cabbage, roasted mushroom, beef and broccoli, and tofu and pumpkin. They originally folded each one by hand but have since brought in a folding machine from China.
At a little more than two years in, this company is still just a two-person operation. But the customer buzz is growing, and so is the distribution reach of these frozen dumplings (as well as the company’s pork-fried rice and chile crisp). You can find them at independent stores that stock locally produced foods from Arundel and Camden.
Here we present two sauces, a summery soup, and a slaw to help make a meal out of these little bundles of Chinese-inspired joy.
Cooking Little Brother Jiaozi
Little Brother Chinese Food co-founders Richard Lee and Claire Guyer say all varieties of their jiaozi (dumplings) are best boiled or pan-fried but not steamed. Here are their instructions for their preferred processes.
Boiled jiaozi
Boil 6 cups water in a pot over medium heat. Carefully add frozen jiaozi to the boiling water, stirring right away to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. Once the water returns to a low boil, cook until the outsides of the jiaozi are tender and the insides are cooked through, 6–7 minutes. Lift the jiaozi from the water with a slotted spoon or strainer and place them in a dish.
Pan-fried jiaozi
Place a non-stick pan (with a tight-fitting lid) over medium heat. Add 1–2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Carefully add frozen jiaozi and 3/4 cup of tap water and cover. Steam jiaozi until the water has nearly evaporated, about 7 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue cooking the jiaozi until the rest of the water cooks off and the bottoms of the jiaozi turn brown and crispy. Carefully remove jiaozi from the pan and set them on a plate on their sides, which lets the bottoms breathe and continue to crisp as you carry them to the table.
For more information, head to littlebrotherchinesefood.com.
