Pan-Fried Beef and Scallion Dumplings

These light beef dumplings are great for making lean ground beef and are great served as an appetizer or a simple first course with vegetable side dishes such as sesame-soy green beans or a mushroom mix with fish sauce. For this recipe, it is important to use a smaller amount of ground beef to avoid excessive fat release during the steaming process.(If the beef is too greasy, you will get soup dumplings seasoned with beef fat.) Dumplings can be prepared in a few hours, just cover with a damp paper towel and keep in the refrigerator until ready.
Whisk together soy sauce, gochujang, vinegar, garlic, ginger, sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil in a medium bowl; leave 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture. Add the beef and green onions to the remaining soy sauce mixture; toss to combine.Heat the canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes. Add red pepper flakes; remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce with the remaining mixture.Prepare 1 wrapper at a time, spreading the wrapper on the work surface (cover with the remaining wrapper to prevent drying out). Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water and place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center. Bring 2 opposite corners together; pinch the tips to seal. Fold the remaining 2 corners to the center; pinch to seal. Fasten the 4 edges together to seal. Place the dumplings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons sesame oil; whisk to coat. Add 12 dumplings to the skillet; cook until the bottom is well browned, about 2 minutes. Add 1/3 cup water to the skillet, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for 1 minute or until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the dumplings to a plate and cover to keep them warm. Repeat with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, the remaining 12 dumplings, and the remaining 1/3 cup of water. Drizzle the dumplings with a mixture of oil and crushed red pepper and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds.