Steamed Pork Patty With Preserved Vegetables

These preserved veggies from Tianjin were served with a steamed pork patty (or yook baeng) and brought back fond memories. It came to me recently, almost as if it wanted to make its presence felt in our household once more. I’m relieved it did because the quality is off the charts.

Dong cai is a northern Chinese preserved cabbage dish originally from the city of Tianjin. Chopped cabbage is salted and sometimes seasoned with garlic.

When the cabbage is pickled, it can be utilized in a variety of ways, including in soups, stir-fries, steamed dishes, and stews. This component can be located in the same aisle as the other pickles and preserves in Chinese supermarkets.

Flavors are amplified when fresh pig is combined with salted or preserved components, much like when cheese, ham, or bacon are added to traditional Western dishes.

Finally, if you find yourself short on ground pork but with access to pork shoulder or pig butt, you may easily grind your own utilizing my method without needing a grinder. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 350g of ground pork
• 65g of dong cai
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 chopped of scallion
• 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine
• 2 teaspoons of light soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

Instructions:

1. Rinse the dong cai many times in cold water to remove any trace of salt. Once the veggie has been washed, squeeze off the excess water. Add the finely chopped ingredients to the ground pork and stir to combine.
2. Put the pork and veggies in a large pot and add the water, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, white pepper, sesame oil, cornstarch, and sugar.
3. Rapidly mix everything in one direction using chopsticks. The fat gets emulsified into the meat, which alters its texture. Never stop mixing until the meat has formed a smooth, homogenous paste. Add in the chopped scallions and mix well.
4. Evenly distribute the beef mixture in a rimmed, circular, heat-resistant bowl (to catch the juices that come out of the pork patty).
5. Put the pork into the steamer, fill it with water, and then bring it to a rolling boil. Cook under cover and 15 minutes of steam.
6. Quickly plate with steaming rice and serve. The fluids in the bowl will be delicious and perfect for dousing rice in. Eating the pork right away is preferable because it will slowly reabsorb the fluids as it rests.