Salted Egg, Century Egg and Pork Congee

Method19 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Pat the lean pork (300 g) dry with kitchen paper. Rub with the measured 1 tsp marinade salt, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours. Keep it cold while completing the remaining preparation; clean utensils and the work surface after raw-pork handling.

   Cold pork marinade · 360 minUses 300 g lean pork · 1 tsp salt for pork marination

2. 2

   Step 2: Towards the end of the pork marinade, wash the rice and drain thoroughly. Transfer the drained rice to a clean freezer-safe container.

   Uses 1½ rice cups dry rice · Water, as needed to wash rice, spring onion and parsley

3. 3

   Step 3: Mix the drained rice with the ½ tsp rice salt and 2 tsp oil. Cover and freeze for at least 30 minutes while completing the remaining preparation; use it directly from the freezer in the boiling broth.

   Check the frozen rice · 30 minUses All the drained rice from step 2, with washing water discarded · ½ tsp salt for the rice · 2 tsp cooking oil for the rice

4. 4

   Step 4: Remove exterior mud, husk or packing material from the salted duck eggs and century eggs (2). Keep their shells intact at this stage and clean hands and the work area afterwards. Keep the salted eggs ready for their separate cooking pot.

   Uses 2 uncooked salted duck eggs in shell · 2 ready century eggs

5. 5

   Step 5: Wash and drain the spring onion (2 sprigs) and parsley (1 bunch), then chop them finely and keep ready for garnish.

   Uses 2 sprigs spring onion · 1 bunch parsley · Water, as needed to wash rice, spring onion and parsley

6. 6

   Step 6: Trim away any unwanted firm surface fat or rind from the Chinese salted ham (60 g), then slice the ham thinly. Keep it refrigerated until it goes into the pork broth.

   Uses 60 g Chinese salted ham (Jinhua or Yunnan ham)

7. 7

   Step 7: When ready to cook, take the salt-marinated pork from the refrigerator and blot away any excess surface salt with kitchen paper. Keep the pork separate from ready garnishes; do not rinse the raw meat.

   Uses All the pork cold-marinated with the measured salt in step 1

8. 8

   Step 8: Pour the measured 2 litres of broth water into a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.

   Uses 2 litres water for the pork and ham broth

9. 9

   Step 9: Add the marinated pork and all the thin ham slices to the boiling water. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 35–40 minutes, checking from 35 minutes, until the pork is soft and its thickest part reaches at least 63°C. Follow any stricter cooking directions on the ham package. Lift the cooked pork and ham onto a clean plate, keeping the broth in the pot for the rice.

   Check the pork and ham simmer · 35 minUses All the pork from step 7 · All 60 g ham sliced in step 6 · All the initially boiled 2 litres from step 8

10. 10

    Step 10: Rest the cooked pork for at least 3 minutes before cutting. Let the pork and cooked ham cool only enough to handle, then shred the pork and keep the ham slices separately. Cover both for this immediate meal while the rice cooks.

    Rest the cooked pork · 3 minUses All cooked pork and ham lifted from step 9, with broth kept separately

11. 11

    Step 11: Bring the reserved pork-and-ham broth back to a boil. Add all the frozen seasoned rice directly from the freezer and stir to loosen the grains. Keep the cooked pork and ham out of the pot for bowl assembly.

    Uses All broth remaining from step 9, with cooked pork and ham held separately · All frozen rice, rice salt and oil from step 3

12. 12

    Step 12: Once the rice and broth boil again, reduce to medium-low heat. Simmer for about 30–35 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom so the rice does not catch, until the grains begin breaking down. Start checking at 30 minutes and continue to the actual texture.

    Check the rice breakdown · 30 minUses All rice and broth from step 11

13. 13

    Step 13: Meanwhile, put both prepared salted duck eggs in a separate small pot with water about 1 inch above their shells. Bring to a steady boil, then cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes with the lid tilted, until both whites and yolks are firm. Continue if needed, then lift the eggs out and discard the egg-pot water.

    Check the salted duck eggs · 15 minUses Both salted duck eggs from step 4, with the century eggs held separately · Water, enough to cover the salted eggs by about 1 inch

14. 14

    Step 14: Cool the cooked salted eggs only enough to handle. Carefully split their hardy shells into halves and scoop the cooked egg flesh out with a spoon, removing any shell fragments.

    Uses Both fully cooked salted eggs from step 13, with egg cooking water discarded

15. 15

    Step 15: Cut all the cooked salted-egg flesh into cubes. Peel the prepared century eggs and cut their ready-to-eat flesh into cubes, keeping the two egg types separately ready for the bowls.

    Uses All cooked salted-egg flesh from step 14 · Both ready century eggs from step 4, with salted eggs used separately

16. 16

    Step 16: Lower the heat and continue cooking and stirring until the congee reaches your preferred smooth consistency, with the grains broken down. Watch the bottom closely as it thickens. If it becomes too thick, add only as much hot water as needed and stir until the added water is hot through.

    Uses All the congee from step 12 · Hot water, only as needed if the congee becomes too thick

17. 17

    Step 17: Remove the finished congee from the heat. Stir in the measured 1 tsp sesame oil and light soy sauce (to taste) to taste.

    Uses All smooth congee from step 16 · 1 tsp Sesame Oil · Light soy sauce, to taste

18. 18

    Step 18: Divide the cubed century eggs, cubed cooked salted eggs, shredded pork and cooked ham between about four serving bowls, dividing as preferred. Ladle the hot seasoned congee over them and stir.

    Uses All cubed century and cooked salted eggs from step 15 · All rested shredded pork and cooked ham from step 10 · All the seasoned congee from step 17

19. 19

    Step 19: Garnish the bowls with all the prepared spring onion and parsley, the ready crispy shallots (½) and the dash of pepper. Serve hot.

    Uses All bowls assembled in step 18 · All washed chopped garnish from step 5, with washing water discarded · ½ bowl ready crispy shallots · 1 dash pepper