Chinese style Steamed pork with homemade rice flour known as FenzhengRou (粉蒸肉) in Chinese;
This is a very famous and popular dish in China but I guess it is unknown to most of non-Chinese. I really feel that I need to introduce this dish from starch.
Steamed pork, beef or ribs with rice flour are grouped as Fenzheng Rou. If you have a bamboo steamer or electric rice cooker at home, this is the recipe for you.
To make the perfect steamed pork, one of the most important steps is to make homemade rice flours. Wash the grain rice firstly and then drain. Mix with around 10 whole Sichuan peppercorns and 1 star anise. Stir fry the rice in a pan with medium fire until most of them becomes slightly brown. Then move to a food process and pulverize the rice to powders (keep some particles for a better taste).
Wash the pork belly or other part with some fats, and then cut into thin slices. Marinade with sauce for around 30 minutes. Mix with rice flour and then transfer to steamer.
The rice flour provides a fresh and faint rice fragrance, which matches great with the chewy and juice taste of pork belly slices. Want a bit? Just enjoy!
- 500 g pork belly , or other part with some fat
- Green onion and fresh red pepper dices for garnishing , optional or you can use coriander
- 2 middle size potatoes , cut into small cubes
- 1 star anise
- 1/2 cup of grain rice
- 10 whole Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 inch root ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon chili pepper powder optional
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Wash grain rice and then drain.
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Wash the pork belly carefully and then cut into thin slices. You can put it in refrigerator for half an hour before cutting. Then marinate with seasoning sauces. Set aside.
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Mix drained grain rice with Sichuan peppercorn seeds, star anise. And then fry the mixtures in pan on medium heat until most of the rice grains become slightly brown. Pulverize the rice to powders using food processor or by hand.
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Mix the pulverized rice with marinated pork.
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Lay some fresh leaves (I am using the leaves for making Zongzi)or clean gauze and then potato cubs under your steamer. Then spread the pork slices evenly on potato cubes; steam with high fire for around 30 minutes.
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Transfer out and garnish some chopped green onions and red peppers.
If you do not eat pork, you can choose beef. Then please extend the steaming time at least to 40 minutes depending on what protein you are using.
Thanks for the recipe. My husband loves this dish and I always wondered how the restaurant always makes it so tender.
Steaming dishes usually are much tender than other cooking methods. Give it a go and see how it works.
My flatmate makes great fenzheng rou, and I’m going to attempt to cook this meal when visiting my English relatives，who don’t eat pork。In terms of what sort of cut to use, any ideas about using lamb to replace？ Thanks for the recipe and happy new year！
Hi George,
If you do not eat pork, you can use beef instead. However, the steaming time should be around 1.5 hours.
Hi yr blog is so interesting. can I use ready store bought rice flour? Thx.
Hi Annie,
Finely grounded rice flour cannot work for the recipe. If you want to buy them directly, choose the coarse-grained flour.
When you pulverize the rice, do you take out the star anise and Sichuan peppercorns or pulverize those too?
Star anise and Sichuan peppercorns need to be pulverized too.
Thanks for your recipe. Elaine. I cooked twice and hoped to share with my teacher and classmates. I will have a International Cooking project next month. Would you mind I am going to use your recipe for the school cooking book? My teacher advised me sending an email to you, but I could not find your email address.
Can you please give me it because I need to send an email and CC this email to my teacher.
Jing
I have send you a Email, Jing. Please check it.
I am forever grateful for you posting this recipe
This is my favourite recipe growing up
You’ve build an extraordinary web site. This is the real deal of Sichuan cuisine which I love so much. Thanks!