Finely shred the cabbage using a mandoline, food processor with the shredding disc, or a sharp knife. You want thin, uniform shreds about 2 inches (5cm) long so they blend into the filling without poking through the wrappers.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, shredded cabbage, chopped garlic, salt, and black pepper. Mix with your hands or a fork until evenly combined — do not overmix or the filling will become dense.

Set up your assembly station: a small bowl of water for sealing, a plate or parchment-lined baking sheet for finished dumplings, and the stack of mandu wrappers.

Place a mandu wrapper in your palm. Dip your finger in the water and moisten the top half of the wrapper edge. Place about 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling in the centre of the wrapper.

Fold over in half, and press the edges together.

Place half of the dumplings in a steamer basket set over boiling water. Steam for 8–10 minutes until the wrappers are translucent and the pork is cooked through (160°F / 71°C internal). Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet with a lid over medium-high heat.

Place the remaining dumplings in the hot skillet in a single layer, flat side down. Fry without moving for 2 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons (30–45ml) of water to the pan and immediately cover with the lid. Reduce heat to medium.

Let the dumplings steam-fry covered for 4 minutes, until the water has fully evaporated, the wrappers are translucent, and the pork filling reaches 160°F / 71°C. Remove the lid for the last 30 seconds to re-crisp the bottoms.

Check the steamed batch — the wrappers should be fully translucent and the filling opaque with no pink remaining.

Serve both batches immediately with kimchi, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), shredded cabbage, and a dipping sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a few drops of sesame oil.