Steps

1. In a bowl, combine ground pork 100g, cooking sake (rice wine) 2 tsp, potato starch 2 tsp, grated ginger 1 tsp, and salt a pinch. Mix well until it becomes sticky.
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2. Trim the stems from 3 perilla leaves and chop them finely.
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3. Set aside a small amount of the finely chopped perilla leaves for garnish.
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4. Add the remaining chopped perilla leaves to the pork mixture bowl and mix until evenly distributed.
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5. Trim the stems from 6 shiitake mushrooms and lightly dust the inner part of their caps with potato starch. (This is the key!) The potato starch helps the filling adhere firmly.
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6. Divide the prepared pork filling into 6 portions and place them in a dome shape inside the shiitake mushroom caps.
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7. Moisten the edges of 6 dumpling wrappers with water and cover the filling on top of the mushrooms.
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8. Pinch the edges of the dumpling wrapper and filling together firmly with your fingers to seal. (This is the key!) The dumpling wrapper traps the meat juices and infuses the shiitake with flavor.
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9. Line a frying pan with parchment paper and arrange the stuffed shiitake mushrooms with some space between them.
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10. Pour water (not measured) under the parchment paper, taking care not to get water on the shumai.
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11. Cover with a lid and heat over high heat until boiling.
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12. Once boiling and steam is rising, reduce heat to medium-low and steam-fry for 6 minutes.
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13. After steam-frying for 6 minutes, carefully transfer the shumai to a serving plate, being mindful of the heat.
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14. Once plated, scatter the reserved chopped perilla leaves onto the center of each shumai.
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15. Serve with soy sauce and vinegar or mustard, if desired.
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