Sumanai Xiaolongbao (Soup Dumplings Without Wrapping, Made with Gyoza Wrappers)

Put 200g of ground pork in a container (the store package is fine). Without using a cutting board or knife, snip about 40g of long green onion directly with kitchen scissors and add it.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons chicken stock powder, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and 2/3 teaspoon sugar. Adding the sugar first keeps it from sticking to the spoon.

Add a pinch of salt, about 1 tablespoon of lard (or vegetable oil), 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 4 shakes of pepper. Adding plenty of oil gives it that juicy xiaolongbao finish.

Add about 1/2 teaspoon potato starch. It thickens the soup in place of gelatin.

Add the all-important 140cc of water. It becomes quite soupy, but xiaolongbao needs this much soup, so it's fine.

Mix everything with a rubber spatula without kneading. Kneading and mixing give the same result, so you can mix with a spatula and keep your hands clean.

Lightly oil the bottom of a heatproof container and line it with gyoza wrappers moistened with water. Without the oil, the wrappers will stick.

Pour the meat mixture over the lined wrappers, layer more gyoza wrappers on top, and add one more for good measure so it's just barely submerged. Finally, cover with plastic wrap.

Microwave for 5 minutes 30 seconds. While it heats, peel 10g of ginger and cut it into fine slivers to make needle-cut ginger.

Take it out of the microwave and remove the plastic wrap. At 5 and a half minutes the meat is cooked through just right.

Peel the side wrappers back a little to tidy it up, top with the chopped green onion and needle-cut ginger, and serve right in the container. Cut into it and plenty of soup comes out.

It's delicious as is, or with ponzu or black vinegar plus soy sauce. The thickened soup tastes just like real xiaolongbao.