Steamed Pork with Dried Shrimp, Preserved Mustard Stem, and Salted Duck Egg (蝦米碎米芽菜鹹鴨蛋蒸豬肉, Haa1 Mai5 Seoi3 Mai5 Ngaa4 Coi3 Haam4 Aap3 Daan6 Zing1 Zyu1 Juk6)

Steamed pork is a dish I grew up eating and all Chinese Moms have a recipe for this dish. Steamed pork is usually never the only ingredient used in making this dish and there are innumerable recipe variations for additions. Here are some other recipes: Steamed Pork with Salted Fish (鹹魚蒸豬肉, Haam⁴ Jyu⁴ Zing¹ Zyu¹ Juk⁶) , Steamed Pork with Salted Duck Egg (鹹鴨蛋蒸豬肉, Haam⁴ Aap³ Daan⁶ Zing¹ Zyu¹ Juk⁶).

This version uses an uncooked salted duck egg and dried shrimp, whose saltiness goes well with the savory pork flavor. You can buy uncooked salted duck eggs and dried shrimp at your local Asian market, but the uncooked duck eggs can be hard to find and not always in stock. I buy my uncooked salted duck eggs at my local Farmer’s Market. The third ingredient is called suimiyacai, which is preserved mustard stems, and can be bought at your local Asian market in small packets. The preserved mustard stems add a mild sweetness to the dish and can be omitted if you cannot obtain them, or you can substitute another preserved vegetable.

On the surface, this seems like an easy dish to make. If this dish is prepared correctly, the steamed ground pork has a tender mouth feel when eaten. I have found, through many attempts, that if you add 1 Tbs. (15 ml.) corn starch per ½ lb. (250 g.) ground pork, together with the other marinade ingredients, you get the desired result.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Ground pork (豬肉, zyu1 juk6)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1½ Tbs.	25 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
1 oz.	30 g.	Dried shrimp (蝦米, haa1 mai5)
1 oz.	30 g.	Preserved mustard stems (suimiyacai) (碎米芽菜, seoi3 mai5 ngaa4 coi3)
1	1	Uncooked salted duck egg (鹹鴨蛋, haam4 aap3 daan6)
1 stalk	1 stalk	Green onions (葱, cung1), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces

Equipment

12 in.	30 cm.	Steamer (or larger)
9 in.	23 cm.	Plate or bowl for steaming
		Plate lifter

Instructions

Preserved mustard stems (suimiyacai)
(碎米芽菜, seoi3 mai5 ngaa4 coi3)

1. Thoroughly mix and marinate the ground pork for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the dried shrimp, preserved mustard stems (suimiyacai), ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. I have found that 1 Tbs. (15 ml.) corn starch per ½ lb. (250 g.) ground pork results in the best texture in the cooked dish. If marinating the ground pork overnight, take the pork out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
2. Wash and cut the green onion into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces.
3. Form the ground pork into an even layer in the steaming dish and form a small crater in the middle of the pork. Crack the uncooked duck egg and place the egg in the crater in the middle of the pork.
4. Fill the steamer with water and bring to a vigorous boil over high heat. Put the plate with the pork into the steamer and cook over high heat for 5 minutes before reducing the heat to simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the plate from the steamer with a plate lifter, sprinkle the green onion pieces over the steamed pork, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.