Steamed Minced Pork with Preserved Mustard Greens

This steamed ground pork dish is a very popular homey dish in Chinese cooking 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.

Preserved mustard greens (called mui coi 梅菜 in Cantonese) don’t look appetizing before cooking. But it’s really tasty and perfectly pairing with meat. This dish can be prepared well ahead and chilled in your fridge. When you're ready, simply steam it in a wok.

To make this steamed ground pork dish is pretty easy and straight forward. Simply mix all the ingredients together, then pop the plate in a wok or steamer to steam. But often times, the steamed pork will easily turn tough and dry after steaming.

If you want to enjoy tender and moist steamed minced pork, it needs a bit of loving care. Below the recipe I share some tips that work for me. If you have any other tips, feel free to share in the comments.

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.