China · Home-style
Steamed Pork with Rice Flour
Pork belly marinated with fermented bean paste and coated in seasoned rice flour, then steamed over potatoes until soft and sticky.
The rice flour is the point: ground from sticky rice with toasted spices, it forms a light shell that keeps the pork juicy while the steam rises through the potatoes underneath. Layering the pieces over potatoes rather than on a plate keeps them from sitting in their own fat and gives the base something to absorb. Northern families make it for a slow lunch, when the pot can be left alone for an hour.
Ingredients
- pork belly250 g
- steaming rice flour50 g
- light soy sauce7.5 ml
- dark soy sauce5 ml
- cooking wine7.5 ml
- Pixian doubanjiang5 g
- minced ginger5 g
- minced garlic5 g
- white sugar2.5 g
- potato or pumpkin150 g
- water for the steamer1000 ml
Directions
- 1
Wash the pork belly and cut it into slices about 5 cm long, 3 cm wide and 0.5 cm thick.
- 2
Cut the ginger and garlic into a fine mince, with no piece larger than 1 mm.
- 3
In a large bowl, combine the sliced pork with 15 ml light soy sauce, 10 ml dark soy sauce, 15 ml cooking wine, 10 g Pixian doubanjiang, 10 g minced ginger, 10 g minced garlic and 5 g white sugar.
- 4
Stir evenly with chopsticks, cover with cling film, and let it marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- 5
When the marinating is done, add 100 g steaming rice flour and keep turning and mixing for 2 minutes so every slice is evenly coated.
- 6
Peel the potato and cut it into slices about 0.8 cm thick, each roughly 5 cm by 5 cm, for a total weight of 300 g.
- 7
Line the base of a deep bowl about 20 cm across with potato slices, covering it as evenly as possible with little overlap.
- 8
Spread the floured pork evenly over the potato and press it down to sit compactly.
- 9
Add 2 litres of water to the steamer and bring it to a steady bubbling boil.
- 10
Put the assembled bowl into the steamer and cover.
- 11
Steam over medium heat for 60 minutes, at a level that keeps a continuous simmer, about 600 W of power.
- 12
When the time is up, push a chopstick into the centre of the meat; if it goes through easily with no real resistance, it is cooked.
- 13
If it does not, keep heating for another 10 to 15 minutes until the pork is soft and the fat has run out.
- 14
Take it out, plate it and serve.
Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.