A classic Chinese steamed pork with preserved mustard, is a very popular Chinese party dish--Mei Cai Kou Rou. Pork belly provides enough fat which moisten the preserved vegetables and arouse the strong aroma.
We usually make this dish for family part, usually steam a large batch each time. It can match with almost every type of staple food in China including congee, steamed rice, steamed buns and noodles. Another reason why we usually make large batches is the the best flavor comes in the second day after the re-steaming.
Another important ingredient for this dish is the preserved mustard we call Mei Cai (梅菜). In China, we are able to find moistened preserved mustard but it might be unavailable outside China. However, you can buy dried preserved mustard. Try to search the highest quality as the lower quality mei cai may contain lots of sand, which will either cost a long washing time or spoil your final dish.
Ingredients
- 800g pork belly (around 2 lb.)
- 200g moistened preserved mustard (or 5 oz. dried mei cai, soaked and washed thoroughly)
- dark soy sauce for coating
- 1 small thumb ginger
- 2 green onions
- 1 tbsp. cooking wine
- water as needed
- oil for frying
- 1 tbsp. minced ginger
- 2 star anises
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorn
- 2 tsp. cornstarch +1 tbsp. water
Sauce
- 3 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp. sugar
- ¼ tsp. Chinese five spice powder (or white pepper)
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
Instructions
Add pork belly in a pot with enough cold water, add green onion, slices of ginger, ½ teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorn and 1 tablespoon of cooking wine. Bring the content to a boiling and then simmer for 20 minutes. Then transfer the pork belly out and Poke as many holes as possible on the rind. Those small holes can bring the rind enough wrinkles.
Then brush dark soy sauce on the surface of the pork belly cube and set aside for 15 minutes. Pour oil in a pot (recommend 2 cm oil level). Drain with kitchen paper and fry the pork belly cube with rind downside. Cover a lid at the beginning so you won’t get yourself burnt by the hot oil. Fry for 6-8 minutes and then slightly fry the other sides too.
Transfer the pork belly out and soak in warm water for at least 30 minutes until the rind becomes slightly soft.
Cut the pork belly into 0.8 cm thick large slices. Lay those slices in the steaming bowls.
Soak the mei cai with cold water and wash carefully. Drain and set aside. Add around 1 tablespoon of oil in wok, fry minced ginger until aromatic, place Mei Cai in and fry until dry.
Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Top the pork belly slices with mei cai and place 1 bay leaf, 1 star anise and 4-6 sichuan peppercorns on top in each steaming bowls. We make two bowls this time. Drizzle the sauce evenly.
Set up the steamers and steam for 1.5 hours to 2 hours. Then pour the sauce out so we can thick them in the next step. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and add the cornstarch to thicken it. Cover the bowl of pork with your serving plate and flip it over onto the plate. Pour the sauce over the dish and serve.
Note: You can make a stock along with the steaming process.
Mei Cai Kou Rou (Steamed Pork with Preserved Mustard)
Ingredients
- 800 g pork belly ,around 2 lbs
- 200 g moistened preserved mustard ,or 5 oz. dried mei cai, soaked and washed thoroughly
- dark soy sauce for coating
- 1 small thumb ginger
- 2 green onions
- 1 tbsp. cooking wine
- water as needed
- oil for frying
- 1 tbsp. minced ginger
Sauce
- 3 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp. sugar
- ¼ tsp. Chinese five spice powder ,or white pepper
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 2 star anises
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorn
Instructions
- Add pork belly in a pot with enough cold water, add spring onions, slices of ginger, ½ teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorn and 1 tablespoon of cooking wine. Bring the content to a boiling and then simmer for 20 minutes. Then transfer the pork belly out and Poke as many holes as possible on the rind. Those small holes can bring the rind enough wrinkles.
- Then brush dark soy sauce on the surface of the pork belly cube and set aside for 15 minutes. Pour oil in a pot (recommend 2 cm oil level). Drain with kitchen paper and fry the pork belly cube with rind downside. Cover a lid at the beginning so you won’t get yourself burnt by the hot oil. Fry for 6-8 minutes and then slightly fry the other sides too.
- Transfer the pork belly out and soak in warm water for at least 30 minutes until the rind becomes slightly soft.
- Cut the pork belly into 0.8 cm thick large slices. Lay those slices in the steaming bowls.
- Soak the mei cai with cold water and wash carefully. Drain and set aside. Add around 1 tablespoon of oil in wok, fry minced ginger until aromatic, place Mei Cai in and fry until dry.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Top the pork belly slices with mei cai and place 1 bay leaf, 1 star anise and 4-6 sichuan peppercorns on top in each steaming bowls. We make two bowls this time. Drizzle the sauce evenly.
- Set up the steamers and steam for 1.5 hours to 2 hours. Then pour the sauce out so we can thick them in the next step.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and add the cornstarch to thicken it.
- Cover the bowl of pork with your serving plate and flip it over onto the plate. Pour the sauce over the dish and serve.
Video
Nutrition
This dish is good with steamed rice or you can simply top the pork slices over noodles.
Delphine B
Hi Elaine,
I'm French and i'm really fond of sichuan cook, as my family.
It's very difficult to learn the principles of stranger cooking way, but it's the big step i want to do. You're website is really one of the most clear and learner.
Thank you so much for the time you're giving to the little palawan like me 🙂
This recipe is the next i'will try to do with my son ... i'll give you our result !
Elaine
Delphine,
I believe you will love it. It is a very classic Chinese steamed dish.
Fioon yong
Hi Elaine,
Very tempting. May i ask if the dried mei cai used is sweet or salt type?
Thank you
Elaine
Actually both works. In Cantonese cuisine, sweet version is commonly used while in Sichuan cuisine, we love the salty mei cai.
John
Good recipe though I think one that does not involve deep frying the pork belly in 2cm of oil to be preferable as disposing of cooking oil is a bit problematic for home cooking. But there is a more serious problem, the nutritional information is for the entire recipe not for a serving and did not include the serving weight which presumably should be in excess of 1 kg as the two main ingredients total 1 kg. It would be nice if you would at least include the weight of the finished product so we can enter the amount we eat by grams into our diet trackers.
Elaine
John,
I agree that deep-frying is not friendly in home cooking. That's why this dish is not cooked at home frequently. I just want to show the most authentic version of Mei Cai Kou Rou. Or you can also save the oil by water boiling (give up the texture).
The dish is for around 4 people and the nutritional information is actually based on 4 portions.
Z
I am so craving this dish! I'm thinking of doing the steaming step using the pressure cooker setting on the instant pot, do you think that would be a huge mistake?
Elaine
No. Presser cooker is a great tool for this one. If you use instant pot, the steaming process only needs 20 to 25 mins.
bob
How is this steamed? Where was the steaming part?
Elaine
Yes, steamed for 1 hour.
Janet tan
Very amazing!
Elaine
Love you, Janet!
Nays
Beautiful! I made this using the pressure cooker for the last step - 25 minutes. It turned out perfectly! My husband who is a Chinese National said this tastes like a restaurant quality dish. Definitely impressed my family. Thank you!
Elaine
This is a super good dish for family in cold winter days. Happy cooking and thanks so much for your feedback!
Steve
Great recipe but what process would one use for cooking it and serving on the day after? I guess my question is - how do I save/store it?
Elaine
You can serve it directly, Steve. If this is served in the next day, re-steam for 10 mins. We make this as gifts for friends and families.
Steve
A couple of things I do to add to this great recipe... I dehydrate some shitake mushrooms and use the water as a part of the pork poaching liquid for even more flavour. I then dice the mushrooms and cook them alongside the mustard greens.
The liquid left over from the pork poaching process I use for cooking rice - for four - bring 2.5 cups of the liquid to the boil then add 2 cups of rice, cover, lower temp and simmer for 20 minutes.
Susan
Can we use the air fryer for the fry part?
Elaine
Sure, Susan. I love the idea!!