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Steamed Pork Patty with egg is such a traditional Huai Yang Style home cooking. Known as “Zai Rou Dun Dan” in Suzhou dialect, translates as chopped/minced meat steamed with egg. It features super juicy and naturally delicious pork patty filled with minced salted tender bamboo shoots called Bian Jian {扁尖} in Chinese. Perfect to pair with a blanched vegetable and rice for a quick, easy, yummy and healthy meal.
What kind of ground pork makes perfectly tasty steamed pork patty?
Ground Pork is the first and important ingredient. The original Suzhou or Shanghai dialect “Zai” speaks the essence of it. “Zai” means chop or mince, meaning the pork should be cut into small pieces but not overly processed. This way, the pork maintains its meaty deliciousness.
When I was a child growing up in Suzhou in the early 70’s, most households made ground pork using old-fashioned chopping method involving a cleaver and a rather thick chopping board made of hardwood. I remember walking back home from school in the afternoon while listening to the familiar rhythmic chopping sound filled in the alley.
Nowadays I use a meat grinder aiming to achieve the similar yumminess of the ground pork. The grinder attachment of my KitchenAid Stand Mixer has two sizes. I use the larger size to grind pork, and the smaller size to grind cooked red bean for homemade red bean paste.
Besides the chopping/mincing method, the pork itself needs to have a good balance of lean vs. fat. I usually use 60% pork shoulder or butt and 40% pork belly to get the super juicy ground pork. Read here to learn all about making a perfectly juicy and tasty ground pork at home.
Bian Jian, the essential iconic ingredient behind Huai Yang Steamed Pork Patty’s yumminess
What is Bian Jian?
Each year in the early spring when bamboo just have kick started the shooting process, those slender, extremely tender and delicious bamboo shoots were harvested right away.
People then quickly blanch them and then use loads of salt to preserve them. We call this preserved version of slender and tender bamboo shoots “Bian Jian”. “Bian” literally means flat, and “Jian” tips.
Where are the best Bian Jian coming from?
Most of the premium Bian Jian in China are from TianMu Mountain in Zhenjiang province. Some are from HuangShan Mountain in Anhui Province. Both are in the Yangtze River Delta area, home to Huai Yang Cuisine, which is one of the Four Great Cuisines Tradition in China. It is safe to say Bian Jian, or bamboo in general, is an essential part of Huai Yang
How to prepare Bian Jian {Salted Tender Bamboo Shoots} for cooking?
Soak Bian Jian in plenty of cold water 3 hours prior to cooking, and then rinse a few times. This is to not only get rid of the excessive salt used to preserve Bian Jian, but also rehydrate them so that Bian Jian tastes more tender.
Steamed Pork Patty {Yummy Huai Yang Classic} Recipe
Steamed Pork Patty with egg is such a traditional Huai Yang Style home cooking. It features super juicy and naturally delicious pork patty filled with minced salted tender bamboo shoots called Bian Jian {扁尖} in Chinese. Perfect to pair with a blanched vegetable and rice for a quick, easy, yummy and healthy meal.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground pork, preferably home ground
For Marinating:
- 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp. regular soy sauce, or dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp Zhenjiang vinegar
- 1 large egg, cage free or organic
- 1/2 tbsp. arrowroot flour, or starch of your choice
- 1/4 tsp cane sugar, organic unrefined
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1 large stalk of green onions
- 2 Bian Jian, salted tender bamboo shoots}, see notes, or organic caned tender bamboo shoots
Other:
- 2 eggs, steamed together with the pork
- 8 cups of water for steaming
Instructions
- Soak Bian Jian in plenty of cold water 3 hours prior to cooking. Rinse a few times. If you are using caned organic bamboo slices, skip this step.
- Cut green onion into small pieces.
- Cut Bian Jian into bite size and then add to a compact food processor to coarsely chop into small pieces.
- Place ground pork into a mixing bowl, crack one egg into it, and then add everything under "For Marinating" along with the chopped green onion and Bian Jian.
- Use a bamboo spatula to loosen the pork and fold into the seasonings.
- After that, turn the spatula in the same direction continuously until everything is bonded together, about 3 minutes.
- Add the seasoned ground pork into a pie baking dish. Use the bamboo spatula to organize and make a hole in the middle.
- Crack two eggs in the middle of the hole.
- Add 8 cups of water into steamer, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a boil. Add the ground pork into the steamer. Steam for 30 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Wait 2 minutes before opening the steamer.
- Use a knife or chopstick to cut across the pork patty to serve. Enjoy a super delicious pork patty.
Notes
- Arrowroot flour is my go-to gluten-free nutritious starch option.
- If you use a wok as your steamer like I do most of the time, make sure your wok holds 8 cups of water, or you can add additional water along the steaming process.
- Use a silicon mini spatula to scrape the compact grinder and mixing bowl. Very handy tool.
Recommended Products
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Bian Jian {salted tender bamboo shoots} -
Organic Ginger Powder -
Natural Bamboo Spatula -
30 CM Stainless Steel 3 Tier Steamer Pot Steaming Cookware by Concord -
Lid, Winco , 14 Inch, Stainless Steel -
Arrowroot Flour -
365 by Whole Foods Market, Grade A Eggs Cage-Free Plus, Large Brown (12 Count), 24 Ounce -
Zhenjiang Vinegar
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 521Total Fat 33gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 273mgSodium 1192mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 45g
Nutrition calculation is provided by Nutritionix to the best knowledge per ingredients description and isn't always accurate.