🥟 BBQ Oxtail Dumplings

Slow-braised, smoky, juicy dumplings, one of my favorite dishes from my Amsterdam R&D.

The kind of dish that takes days, not minutes.

Some recipes you make because they’re easy.
And some you make because they’re worth it.
This one is the second kind.

Back in Amsterdam, building something new.
I’m back in Amsterdam for a bit, working on the R&D for the new menu at the new KID Amsterdam location.
New dishes. New ideas. A fresh direction.

These BBQ oxtail dumplings are one of the dishes I’m developing.
Smoky from the grill.
Rich from the long braise.
Bright from pickled mustard greens.
Juicy from the stock folded into the filling.
It’s a dumpling that tastes comforting, nostalgic, but also polished and layered.

Dumplings look simple… but the filling decides everything.
A dumpling can look perfect on the outside and still fail on the inside.
Too dry.
Too wet.
Falls apart.
Flavour disappears.

Most home cooks struggle with the filling, not the folding.
Finding the balance inside the dumpling is the real challenge.

This filling solves that.
It’s structured for juiciness, flavour, and stability.
Exactly how we build dumplings during menu development.

This is the professional process.
Below is the full breakdown, exactly how we make this during R&D.
Brining and BBQ-ing the oxtail
Slow braising until it falls off the bone
Building a balanced, juicy filling
Three cooking methods
Restaurant-style finishing and dipping

You can make this at home exactly like we do it in a professional kitchen.

And a note from me personally.
I do a lot more than recipes.
R&D, Menu development, Collabs, Pop-ups, Private dining, Supper clubs.

If you know someone who needs help or wants to work together, reach out.
I’m always open for exciting projects.

For now, scroll down, make the dumplings, and let me know how they turn out.
These might become one of the signature dishes in Amsterdam.

🥟 The Recipe — BBQ Oxtail Dumplings

BBQ Braised Oxtail Meat (Part 1)
Ingredients
1 whole oxtail
30 g colorozo salt
30 g regular salt
1 liter water
Beef jus, 2 dl per vacuum bag
1 sprig thyme
1 garlic clove

Method
1. Brine the oxtail for 24 hours in the salted water.
2. Rinse well to remove excess salt.
3. BBQ until golden brown on all sides.
4. Vacuum-pack with 2 dl beef jus, thyme, and garlic.
Cook using one of these methods:
Steam at 85°C for 12 hours
Sous-vide at 85°C for 12 hours
Braise at 85°C for 6–8 hours until the meat falls off the bone
5. Pick the meat from the bones and set aside.

Oxtail dumpling filling (Part 2)
Ingredients
132 g braised oxtail, finely chopped
130 g cold beef stock
35 g rehydrated shiitake, finely chopped
8 g spring onion
35 g pickled mustard greens, finely chopped
15 g Chinese leek
5 g sesame oil

Method
1. Soak shiitake mushrooms until soft, then squeeze and chop.
2. Chop oxtail, shiitake, spring onion, mustard greens, and Chinese leek into equal small pieces.
3. Mix everything in a bowl.
4. Add the cold beef stock gradually while mixing until the filling becomes sticky and cohesive.

Assembling the dumpling (Part 3)
Ingredients
Dumpling filling
Gyoza or wonton wrappers
Small bowl of water

Method
1. Set up your station and keep wrappers covered with a damp towel.
2. Add one heaping teaspoon of filling to each wrapper.
3. Seal:
Gyoza: wet the edge, fold and pleat.
Wonton: fold into a triangle, press edges, bring corners together.
4. Continue until all filling is used.

Cooking options (Part 4)
Pan-Fried Gyoza
1. Heat a little oil in a pan.
2. Add dumplings and brown the bottoms.
3. Add a splash of water, cover and steam for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Uncover and let bottoms crisp again.

Boiled Wontons
1. Bring salted water to a gentle boil.
2. Cook dumplings for 2 to 3 minutes until they float.
3. Drain and serve.

Steamed Dumplings
steam for 6 to 7 minutes in a bamboo steamer.

Serving (Part 5)
Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp black vinegar
1 tsp chili oil
Optional: sliced ginger

Add Ons
Chili oil
Mustard greens
Crispy shallots

⭐ Chef notes
Cold stock creates juiciness inside the dumpling.
Uniform chopping gives the best texture.
Gyoza wrappers are ideal for pan-frying.
Wonton wrappers are ideal for boiling.
Leftover filling freezes well.

Before You Go…
If you make these dumplings, I’d really love to see them.

Share a photo, send me a message or tag me. It’s always nice to see what you cook at home.

And if there’s a recipe you’d like me to break down next, something you’ve always wanted to learn, or a dish you’ve seen me make, just let me know.

I’m happy to take requests and build more of these step-by-step guides.

See you next week,
Stefan