This is a huge missed opportunity.
Dumplings truly contain multitudes.
Every culinary tradition in every part of the world has at least one take on simple boiled dough.
With that said, lets start with the showstopper.
Speaking of substitutions, dont swap in beef short ribs or even a different cut of pork here.
If you dont eat meat, save the dumpling recipe for your favorite vegetarian stew.
Brown the ribs, removing them to a bowl as they finish.
Do the same with the potatoes.
Drain the fat and add the onions to the pot; cook until translucent, scraping up the fond.
Deglaze with the vinegar and a splash of water.
While the stew cooks, prepare the dumpling dough.
Pour the yogurt into the dry ingredients and stir with a flexible spatula until it forms a shaggy dough.
If it still looks dry, add a little more water or yogurt.
Cover the ball with plastic and rest until theres 30 minutes left on the stew timer.
Generously flour your counter and rolling pin and divide the dough into three pieces.
Take a piece of dough and roll it out into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick.
(The other dimensions dont matter; you just need a short side and a long side.)
Evenly spread a tablespoon of pan drippings over the surface.
Repeat this process with the other two pieces of dough.
Before you add the dumplings to the stew, check the liquid level.
The top layer of pork and potatoes should be just barely peeking through the broth.
If its completely exposed and dry on top, add 1-2 cups of water to loosen things up.
Serve immediately with pickles, grainy mustard, and a stack of napkins.
Obviously, nudli is a little too involvedandrichto be an everyday recipe.
But thats a function of the stew and the spirals, both of which are fussier than average.
If youre craving stew and fresh out of bread or noodles, dumplings have your back.
Drizzle in your dairy of choice little by little until you have a sticky, yet cohesive, batter.
To cook them, simply drop spoonfuls of batter into a simmering pot of stew.
(This isthe Smitten Kitchen mushroom bourgignon, a perfect recipe.)
Pop the lid on, simmer for another 35-45 minutes, and enjoy.
This impulse is worth indulging.
You really cant go wrong.
