Chinese style Steamed pork with homemade rice flour known as FenzhengRou (粉蒸肉) in Chinese. We get lots of versions and flavors of this humble steamed dish. I introduce Sichuan version this time.
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 dishes (粉蒸菜).
To make the perfect steamed pork, one of the most important steps is to make homemade rice flours. We get lots of store versions in our market but homemade version is always the best. We use regular short grain rice as the basic ingredients for Fenzheng Rou and sometimes sticky rice (糯米）is added in order to create softer and chewier texture. It is only personal preference.
To make the rice flour
Mix sticky rice with regular short grain rice together and wash well. Then drain completely.
Place the rice in a pan and then add spices. Heat over slowest fire until part of the rice is slightly browned. Keep moving the rice grains to avoid burnt. Don’t overcook the rice. They should be around 80% cooked. Then blend the rice into coarse powder. Mix the rice powder directly with pork belly. This method is called as dry mixing, mainly used for oily ingredients. In other cases for example steam beef or ribs, we need to add liquid to the rice flour firstly, namely wet mixing.
The bottom vegetable is also important to ensure that vapour can coming through from different places. Then lay the pork belly on the top (don’t press them).
The rice powder can still keep the stronger texture from the rice and remaining original aroma.
- 600 g pork belly , or other part with some fat to make two versions
- chopped green onion , optional or you can use coriander
- 2 middle size sweet potatoes , cut into small cubes
- 1 star anise
- 3/4 cup short grain rice
- 1/2 cup sticky rice
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds
- 0.5 cup sticky rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 whole Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 very small piece of cinnamon
- 3 piece of angelica root , optional
- 1 tbsp. Low-sodium light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. Chinese cooking wine
- 1 inch root ginger grated
- 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt , since other sauces are quite salty, you can skip salt
- 1 tbsp. doubanjiang
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorn seeds
- 1 tbsp. Low-sodium light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp. Shaoxing wine
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
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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. I make two versions this time so I divide this batch into two bowls. Marinate pork belly with all the marinating ingredients.
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Add rice and spices 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.Lay some fresh leaves or clean gauze and then sweet potato cubs under your steamer. Then spread the pork slices evenly on sweet potato cubes; steam with middle high fire for around 50 minutes to 1 hour.
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Transfer out and garnish some chopped green onions and serve hot!
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!
This one was one of my favorite dish while I was in Chengdu.. Thank you for sharing this recipe.. I will certainly try this…
My favorite too! Happy cooking.