In many Chinese homes, this quick and simple dish is served with rice and other dishes for dinner.  I have provided recipes for 3 different variations, but you could use any ingredients and any combination that you like.  My favourite combination is the steamed minced pork with salty duck eggs.  (I will load a photo the next time I make it.)

Steamed minced pork with muy choi (Chinese salted mustard) is shown below.  Note that traditionally, the meat is seasoned with soy sauce and the muy choi is simply scattered over the top.  However, I’ve reduced the sodium of this dish by omitting the soy sauce and mixing the muy choi (which is already salty) in with the meat.

It is important to note that minced pork is not the same as ground pork.  In Chinese cooking, pork is often minced by hand, by chopping it continuously with a cleaver in each hand until the meat is broken down and can be pulled apart easily.  This results in a very delicious texture that isn’t dry or crumbly like ground pork.  This can be time consuming and labour intensive, but, luckily, I have discovered that a similar texture can be achieved using a food processor.  Below you can see the texture achieved by hand on the left and by food processor on the right.

Chinese Steamed Minced Pork Recipes

Common Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/4 pounds (approx.) of pork  (I like to use pork shoulder or another cut of slightly fatty pork.  Note that ground pork is not an appropriate substitute for this dish as it would ruin the texture and taste.)

3/4 tsp sesame oil

dashes of ground white pepper (to taste)

optional:  soy sauce

optional: thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Three Variations:

2 salted duck eggs

OR

1/4 cup of finely chopped muy choi (Chinese salted mustard or preserved mustard)

1 1/2 tsp corn starch

OR

1/4 cup of chopped shitake mushrooms (fresh or dried mushrooms rehydrated in water for at least 1 hour)

3 to 5 chopped canned water chestnuts (to taste)

1 1/2 tsp corn starch

1 tbsp soy sauce

pinch of salt

small pinch of granulated white sugar

Mince the pork by hand (by chopping it continuously with a cleaver in each hand until the meat breaks down and pulls apart easily) or by food processor (using the metal blade).  Then set up your steaming equipment and bring the water to a boil over high heat.  (See my post on how to steam cook food here.)  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients except for the soy sauce and green onions.  Transfer the meat to a 9 inch round glass plate (or another heat proof dish) and flatten the meat so that it spreads out across the bottom.  It should be the same thickness throughout.  When the water in your steamer reaches a rolling boil, steam the meat until cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes.  The inside of the meat should not be pink and it should be hot to the touch.  Do not overcook.  After steaming, there will be some water on your plate.  This liquid will be infused with the flavour of your meat and seasonings.  We like to use it as a light sauce on our rice, but you could discard it prior to serving if you prefer.  If you or your guests want more flavour, drizzle some soy sauce on top or serve soy sauce on the side.  Garnish with the green onions (optional) and serve immediately.