Steamed Minced Pork with Preserved Mustard Greens

This classic Cantonese steamed minced pork with preserved mustard greens is the ultimate Chinese comfort food for busy weeknights. Known locally as mui coi yuk tsui, this traditional Cantonese steamed ground pork recipe combines savory, tender meat with aromatic sweet pickled mustard greens for a deeply comforting meal.This is a dish that that I grew up with. It’s one of my childhood favourite dishes throughout the year. This dish goes really well with a bowl of steamed rice and any Chinese vegetables.

Preparing this authentic Chinese home cooking staple requires simple ingredients and streamlined prep. It is a wonderful way to nourish your family with a balanced, flavorful dish that pairs effortlessly with steamed jasmine rice and fresh greens.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Quick and convenient: Assembles in minutes and steams quickly for an effortless family dinner.
• Incredible texture contrast: Water chestnuts deliver a subtle, refreshing crunch against tender pork.
• Make-ahead friendly: Prepare and season the pork mix in advance for stress-free weeknight cooking.
• Rich umbrella flavor: Sweet mui coi imparts a fragrant, deeply savory aroma throughout the dish.

Key Tips for Success

• Pan-roast the mui coi: Dry-fry chopped pickled greens briefly in a pan to release their fullest fragrance.
• Incorporate water gradually: Mix liquid into the ground pork in small splashes to lock in moisture.
• Maintain ideal meat ratio: Choose ground pork with a 70:30 or 80:20 lean-to-fat proportion for tenderness.
• Avoid compacting meat: Gently level the surface and poke steam vents so the pork cooks evenly without hardening.

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Steamed Minced Pork with Preserved Mustard Greens Recipe

(Printable recipe)
By Christine’s Recipes
Course: Steamed
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Yield: 2 to 3 serves

Ingredients:

• 220 gm minced pork / ground pork
• 60 gm sweet mui coi / sweet pickled mustard greens
• 4 water chestnuts, fresh or frozen, finely chopped
• ½ tsp minced ginger

Marinade for mui coi:

• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• ⅛ tsp corn flour / corn starch
• oil, to taste

Marinade for minced pork:

• ½ tsp light soy sauce
• ¼ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp corn flour / corn starch
• pepper, to taste
• sesame oil, to taste
• 1 Tbsp egg white
• 2 Tbsp water

Method:

1. Rinse the mui choi thoroughly to remove any sands and dirt. Soak in salted water for 10 minutes in order to decrease the saltiness. Rinse again. Squeeze out the excess water. Roughly chop. Fry in a wok or small pan without any oil over low heat to bring out the aroma. Let it cool. Mix with marinade. Set aside.
2. Mix the minced pork with marinade. Add water bit by bit so that the pork absorbs all the water well. Add water chestnuts and minced ginger. Stir towards one direction. Set aside for 20 minutes. Stir in the mui coi.
3. Place the pork mixture in a shallow plate. Level the surface with a wet spoon. Don’t press it anyway. Use a pair of chopsticks to poke some holes in the meat. Cover with foil. Steam in a wok or steamer for about 10 to 12 minutes over high heat. The cooking time depends on the size and material of the plate you use. Turn off the heat. Let the pork stay in the wok for further 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes：

• There are several kinds of mui coi. Try to get the type with a hint of sweetness. Available at Asian grocers.
• The minced ginger will add a mild kick. Highly recommend but it’s optional.
• To make tender and moist steamed pork, you need some fat blended in the minced pork. If using all lean pork, it’ll be very tough after cooking. The minced pork I got from supermarket has already mixed in some fat. If you mince lean pork yourself, you may add some fat in proportion. The best proportion of lean pork and fat is 7:3 or 8:2. Process the lean pork with fat in a food processor or chop them with a knife.
• You need to add some water to make moist steamed pork, bit by bit, not in one go. The meat can easily absorb all the water well.
• The egg white is to help the meat become smooth and soft.
• The foil can prevent the water droplets from wok cover onto the meat so that the taste won’t be diluted.
• After steaming, you’ll see some water in the plate released. Don’t discard it as it’s tasty juice. Let it rest for a while. The meat will absorb the juice back.

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Braised Chicken Wings with Potatoes

This classic Cantonese braised chicken wings with potatoes features tender, juicy wings and melt-in-your-mouth potato chunks simmered in a rich, savory soy sauce gravy. It is the ultimate Hong Kong home-style comfort food that brings nostalgic flavors right to your family dinner table.

If you’ve lived in Hong Kong for a while, you would’ve known this dish, Braised Chicken Wings with Potatoes, or tasted it before. It’s so homey and tasty dish.

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This classic braised shiitake mushrooms in oyster sauce delivers plump, meaty mushrooms simmered in a rich, velvety glaze that elevates any family gathering or holiday meal. A staple dish for Chinese New Year and special occasions, it balances deep savory notes with a hint of natural sweetness.

During my childhood, when I saw this dish served on our dinner table, I’d feel that we’re enjoying a luxury meal simply because mushrooms were quite pricey at that time. Although big and best quality shiitake mushrooms are still very expensive now, we can get smaller ones with good quality at much cheaper price for substitute. We are quite satisfied with their texture and taste.

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Green Tea (Matcha) Custard Snowskin Mooncakes

Celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival with these vibrant green tea custard snowskin mooncakes, featuring a chewy matcha skin and a smooth, creamy custard center. This easy no-bake dessert brings a beautiful balance of fragrant tea and gentle sweetness to your festive table, perfect for sharing gratitude and nourishment with loved ones.

The customized mooncake mould with my own brand, engraved with my Chinese blog title, 簡易食譜 (means "easy recipes" in Chinese) was a hearty birthday gift from my loved ones in the family. I treasure it so much. With it, I made these green tea (matcha) snow skin mooncakes with custard filling.

Crafting these homemade matcha custard mooncakes is a joyfully simple process that yields restaurant-quality results without any baking required. Using carefully blended flours and quality green tea powder ensures a delicate texture and striking color that brightens every seasonal celebration.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• No Baking Required: Simple steaming process produces a soft, delicate skin without needing an oven.
• Vibrant Natural Color: Fine matcha powder gives the snowskin an eye-catching green hue and fresh aroma.
• Make-Ahead Friendly: Stores beautifully in the freezer, letting you prepare treats well in advance.

Key Tips for Success

• Knead Matcha Thoroughly: Incorporate the green tea powder into the cooked dough patiently for uniform color and flavor.
• Dust Mould Lightly: Coat your mooncake mould with cooked glutinous rice flour to prevent sticking and maintain crisp patterns.
• Chill Before Serving: Transfer frozen mooncakes to the refrigerator 2 to 3 hours prior to serving for the ideal soft texture.

The matcha powder was bought from Japan a few months ago when we traveled there. I adjusted all the amount of flours in order to show off its beautiful green colour. The deep and vibrant green colour goes so well with the bright yellowish filling. Do they look similar to those pandan snowskin mooncakes I made before? Although both kinds of snowskin mooncakes are in green and yellow, the texture and taste of both end products are totally different. Which one would you like most? I like both.

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Green Tea (Matcha) Custard Snowskin Mooncakes Recipe

(Printable recipe)
By Christine’s Recipes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 80 mins
Yield: 8 mooncakes (each 65 grams, mould sized 4.5cm x 4.5cm x 2.5cm)

Ingredients of snowskin:

• 40 gm glutinous rice flour
• 20 gm rice flour
• 8 gm wheat starch
• 12 gm plain flour
• 35 gm caster sugar
• 160 ml milk
• 35 ml condensed milk
• 30 ml vegetable oil (such as sunflower oil or canola oil)
• 1½ tsp matcha powder
• 3 Tbsp cooked glutinous rice flour, for coating

Ingredients of filling:

• 20 gm cake flour
• 20 gm custard powder
• 20 gm milk powder
• 55 gm caster sugar
• 30 gm whisked egg
• 30 ml condensed milk
• 80 gm coconut cream
• 45 gm butter, melted

From Left to Right: Glutinous Rice Flour, Rice Flour, Wheat Starch.

Method :

1. To prepare the filling：Sieve all flours in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar. Stir in the whisked egg, condensed milk and coconut cream. Combine very well. Add butter. Transfer into a large and shallow pan. Cover with foil and steam for 15 to 20 minutes over medium-high heat. Let it cool down and chill in fridge for later use.



How to prepare the custard filling.

2. To prepare the snowskin: Sieve all flours in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and combine well. Mix milk with condensed milk well. Pour into the flour mixture. Stir in vegetable oil. Drain through a fine sieve into a large and shallow pan. Cover with foil and steam for 15 to 20 minutes over medium high heat. Let it cool down.



How to prepare the snowskin dough.

3. Divide the filling into 8 portions, each in 32 grams. Roll each into a ball.
4. Scrape out the snowskin dough. Knead in matcha powder evenly. Divide into 8 portions, each in 33 grams. With a rolling pin, roll each out into a disc.



How to ensemble mooncakes.

5. To ensemble mooncakes: Wrap the filling with the snowskin dough tightly and seal the edges. Coat with cooked glutinous rice flour. Shake away the excess. Press in a floured mooncake mould. Tap and remove it. Store in an air-tight container covered with a kitchen paper. Chill in freezer overnight. Transfer the mooncakes into fridge for 2 hours before serving.

Notes：

• Cooked glutinous rice flour is available at Asain grocers. You can make it yourself though. Simply cook the flour in a frypan without any oil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. When smoke releases and the flour turns light yellow, it’s cooked. Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely. Then you can use it to coat your mooncakes.
• For steaming the snowskin and filling, if you can’t taste any raw flour, it’s done.
  By kneading the matcha powder into cooked snowskin dough, you’ll get the best flavour and colour. Yet, it needs more patience to knead in evenly.
• You might wrap in a cooked salted egg yolk if you like. Salted egg yolks are available at Asian grocers. Or you make some in advance.
• The snowskin mooncakes can be stored in freezer up to a few weeks. Before serving, just transfer the mooncakes to fridge for about 3 hours, until they become soften a bit.

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Poached Chicken in Spicy Sauce (貴妃雞)

Traditional poached chicken is very popular in Hong Kong. If the chicken is just cooked through with silky smooth skin and the meat is succulent, it’s a high-praised dish that’s well-accepted by everyone.

This traditional poached chicken in spicy sauce delivers succulent, juicy chicken with silky smooth skin infused with aromatic spiced brine.

Steaming the chicken gently and immediately submersing it into a chilled, fragrant brine locks in moisture while allowing every bite to absorb deep herbal notes. It is a simple, nourishing meal that brings restaurant-quality Cantonese home cooking to your dinner table with grace and balance.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Silky, Succulent Texture: Gentle steaming paired with an ice-cold brine bath guarantees tender meat and smooth skin.
• Flavor-Packed Chilled Brine: A fragrant combination of star anise, cinnamon, dried mandarin peel, and dried prawns infuses incredible depth.
• Effortless Ahead Prep: Cool and soak the chicken in advance for a stress-free meal served straight from the fridge.
• Foolproof Food Safety: Accurate temperature testing takes all the guesswork out of cooking whole chicken thighs perfectly.

Key Tips for Success

• Toast Dried Prawns First: Dry-fry the prawns until aromatic to unlock their rich savory flavor before adding them to the brine.
• Chill Brine Completely: Ensure the spice brine is fully refrigerated and ice-cold before adding cooked chicken to rapidly stop residual cooking.
• Use a Meat Thermometer: Insert a digital probe into the thickest part of the thigh until it reaches 75°C (165°F) for perfect safety and juiciness.
• Sizzle the Ginger Scallion: Pour smoking hot oil directly over minced ginger and green onions for an authentic, aromatic finishing sauce.

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Poached Chicken in Spicy Sauce Recipe (Printable recipe)
By Christine’s Recipes
Course: Chicken
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 45 mins ＋ soaking time 6 hrs
Yield: 2 to 3 serves

Ingredients:

• 2 (700gm) chicken maryland pieces (chicken leg with thigh) or ½ chicken
• 4 slices ginger
• 1 stalk spring onion
• 15 gm dried prawns
• minced ginger with chopped spring onion with oil, for serving

Brine sauce:

• 1 L water
• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 3 slices ginger
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 pieces bay leaves
• 2 star anise
• 4 pieces ginger
• 1 pieces dried mandarin peel
• 2 pieces licorice root (甘草gān cǎo)
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp shaoxing wine

Method:

1. Soak the dried prawns until softened. Drain well. Stir fry in a small pan without any oil over medium heat until aromatic. Set aside.
2. Put all the ingredients (except the wine) into a deep pot. Add the dried prawns. Bring it to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes to bring out all the flavours and fragrance. Remove from heat to let it cool. Pour in the wine. Refrigerate for 3 hour until the brine turns cold.
3. Place the chicken maryland pieces on top of the ginger and spring onion. Transfer to a wok or steamer to steam for 15 minutes over high heat, or until it’s cooked through. I inserted a thermometer to test the thickest part of the chicken thigh. It reached 75C / 165F. Immediately transfer the chicken into the cold brine and soak for 3 hours in the fridge. Serve cold or slightly reheat the chicken if you like. Heat some oil until it almost releases smoke, pour over the minced ginger and spring onion. Serve on side. Enjoy!

Notes：

• According to the instructions from Hong Kong Center for Food Safety, The center of the thickest part of a poached chicken should reach at least 75C / 165F, whereas Australian government recommends at least 74C / 165F. When cutting the poached chicken, make sure that the juices are clear, without any blood inside. I found the traditional way to test with a needle or chopstick to poke through the thickest part with clear juice running out is not quite reliable. The recommended safety temperature is a little bit higher than that. The chicken meat is still tender though. No worries. It’s worth investing a thermometer for the sake of your family health safety.
• By soaking the chicken in the cold brine, the inner cooking will stop. Let it absorb all the flavours of the brine.
• You may cook the chicken in the brine directly instead of steaming for convenience. Also make sure the chicken is cooked through.
• All the spices are available at Asian grocers.

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Making traditional mooncakes at home is a beautiful way to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival and share heartfelt hospitality with family and friends. This classic recipe yields rich lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk pastries with a soft, perfectly browned crust.

Mooncakes are a Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節) staple I grew up with. Once you gather all the ingredients, making them yourself is actually much easier than you might think!

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