Cait (@cattle.girl.cait) shares a recipe for "Elk Pot Stickers" that "will blow your skirt up" and is a must-have on her ranch! Each bite is packed with bold flavor from the elk and the spicy sesame sauce.

Cait is a 4th generation "agriculture-based entrepreneur." She has estimated spending 90% of her time growing up on the back of a horse, working jobs from being a loper to cattle driver to a state Special Olympics equestrian games coach.

"If you can put a saddle on it I’ve probably ridden it," says Cait. She knows how to cook for a household of hungry cowboys and cowgirls!

Photo courtesy of www.cattlegirlcait.com.

Ingredients for the Pot Stickers

  • 1lb ground elk meat
  • 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger or 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 1 grated clove of garlic
  • 3-4 chopped green onion
  • pinch of ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of honey
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 cups of shredded cabbage
  • 1 tablespoon of virgin olive oil
  • wonton wrappers (you will use a whole package)
  • a dish of water (for sealing the wanton wrappers)
  • 1/4 cup of water for steaming the pot stickers

Ingredients for the Spicy Sesame Sauce

  • 3/4 cup sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger or 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon of chile sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons of honey
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce

Recipe

  1. To make the pot stickers, mix all the pot sticker ingredients into a bowl minus the cabbage, olive oil, wrappers, and water.
  2. Thoroughly mix these ingredients with the ground elk and then cook in a skillet until the meat is no longer pink.
  3. Once the elk is cooked, add the cabbage into the skillet incorporating it into the cooked ground elk. Once the cabbage is combined, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
  4. To assemble the pot stickers, spoon 2 teaspoons of filling onto each wonton wrapper. Using the small dish of water, one at a time brush water along the edges of the wonton wrapper and fold it over creating a triangle shape, and press the edges to seal the filling into the wonton. Repeat until the filling is used.
  5. Once the wontons are constructed, heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet set on medium heat and cook your wontons in batches for 3-4 minutes. Turn your wontons during this time to achieve a crispy golden texture on both sides. As you cook in batches, apply more olive oil if needed.
  6. Now that all of the pot stickers have been cooked golden on both sides, add them back to the skillet along with the 1/4 cup of water and top with a lid for 4-6 minutes. Do this in batches as well to ensure each one is properly steamed.
  7. While you’re steaming the pot stickers in batches, make the sesame sauce. Add the dry spices and honey and mix in a heat-proof bowl. Emphasis on heat-proof.
  8. In a skillet heat the sesame oil until it’s sizzling for 5 minutes then pour it over the spices and honey mixture in the heatproof bowl. Stir to combine then add in the soy sauce. Stir once more to combine all the ingredients.
  9. Once the pot stickers are done steaming, serve them by pouring over the sesame sauce or plate the pot stickers and dip them into the sauce.

Photos and recipe originally by Cait at www.cattlegirlcait.com.