Steamed Pork with Rice Powder (Fen Zheng Rou - 粉蒸肉)

Method10 steps · about 3 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Pat the pork belly (1 lb) dry and slice it into ¼-inch-thick pieces. In a large bowl, combine it with the 1 tsp minced ginger, 2 tsp Shaoxing wine, piece of fermented bean curd (1 piece), 1 tbsp chosen bean sauce, 1 tsp five-spice powder and ½ tsp sugar. Mix until the pork is evenly seasoned.

   Uses 1 lb raw pork belly · 1 teaspoon ginger (minced) · 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine · 1 piece fermented bean curd (white or red) · 1 tbsp spicy bean sauce; regular bean sauce may be used instead for a mild version · 1 teaspoon five spice powder · ½ teaspoon sugar

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Cover and marinate the seasoned pork belly in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Prepare the rice coating during this wait.

   Marinate the pork belly · 60 minUses Seasoned raw pork belly

3. 3

   Step 3: While the pork marinates, put the 6 tbsp dry long-grain rice, 3 tbsp dry sweet rice, ¼ tsp Sichuan peppercorns and quarter star anise in a clean, dry wok over medium-low heat. Stir and toast for about 5 minutes, until the rice is light brown; turn off the heat.

   Uses 6 tbsp dry long-grain rice · 3 tbsp dry sweet rice (glutinous rice) · ¼ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns · ¼ of a whole star anise

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Let the toasted rice and spices cool slightly. Pulse the whole mixture a few times in a food processor, or grind it with a mortar and pestle, to a coarse texture. Keep visible rice granules rather than making fine flour.

   Uses Toasted rice and spices

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Peel and rinse the taro, then cut it into pieces roughly the same size as the pork slices. Add it to the marinated pork. If choosing the potato alternative, prepare that same 1 lb allowance in place of the taro.

   Uses 1 lb taro; the same amount of potato may be used instead · Water, just enough to rinse the peeled taro · Refrigerated marinated pork belly

6. 6

   Step 6: In a separate bowl, mix the complete coarsely ground rice mixture with the ½ cup rice-paste water to make a thick paste.

   Uses Coarsely ground toasted rice and spices · ½ cup water, mixed with the ground rice

7. 7

   Step 7: Mix the rice paste and 2 tsp light soy sauce into the pork and taro until coated. Transfer everything to a heatproof bowl or casserole dish that fits your steamer, leaving room for the rice coating to expand during cooking. Arrange the slices neatly if desired.

   Uses The pork and selected root vegetable, excluding discarded rinsing water · Thick rice coating paste · 2 teaspoons light soy sauce

8. 8

   Step 8: Prepare a covered steamer with 2–3 quarts of external water below the food dish. Put the dish in place, cover tightly and bring the external water to a full boil over high heat.

   Uses Rice-coated pork and taro in their heatproof dish · 2–3 quarts external steamer water, kept below the food dish

9. 9

   Step 9: Once the external water boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and maintain steady steam for 70–90 minutes, checking the food at 70 minutes. The pork should be cooked through and tender, the taro fully soft, and the rice coating cooked with no hard grains. Periodically check the external water and add hot top-up water if needed to prevent the steamer from running dry; keep water below the dish.

   Steam pork and taro · 70 minUses The food dish above the external steamer water · Hot water, only if needed to keep the steamer from running dry

10. 10

    Step 10: Carefully lift out the cooked food dish, garnish with the finely chopped scallion (1) and serve hot.

    Uses The cooked food lifted from the steamer · 1 scallion (finely chopped)