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Yu Tou Kou Rou {Pork Belly with Malanga}

Classic Hakka style steamed Pork Belly made easy using instant pot

by Shirley
Yu Tou Kou Rou {Pork Belly with Malanga Recipe

Yu Tou Kou Rou {芋头扣肉}, or pork belly with Malanga, is a traditional Hakka {Ke Jia 客家} style steamed pork dish. It features a melt-in-your-mouth savory skin-on pork belly with satisfying soft Malanga slices.

The skin of the pork belly is a must-have, which is the highlight of this iconic dish. The pan-frying step before the steaming is the key to a tasty pork belly. Malanga, which absorbs pork fat and flavor, perfectly balances taste, texture, and nutrition.

Yu Tou Kou Rou {芋头扣肉} Hakka steamed pork belly with Malanga recipe

What is Yu Tou Kou Rou {芋头扣肉}?

Yu Tou {芋头} refers to Malanga, a type of taro. Kou Rou {扣肉) loosely translates as top-down flipped meat {pork}. This is because when we steam the pork belly, we place the skin side facing down. Afterward, we flip the dish upside down to make the pork belly skin side face up before serving.

flip he steamed pork belly dish upside down

Traditionally it takes hours to steam the pork belly in order to reach that melt-in-your-mouth kind of yummy texture point. If you happen to have an instant pot, this is when instant pot saves the day moment.

Pressure cook the pork belly on high for 30 minutes, followed by a 15-minute steaming is all you need to make this iconic Hakka Steamed Pork Belly with Malanga dish.

pressure cooked pork belly in the instant pot
pressure-cooked pork belly in the instant pot

How to make Yu Tou Kou Rou {{芋头扣肉} Steamed Pork Belly with Malanga?

At a high level, it takes three major steps to make the classic Hakka Steamed Pokr Belly with Malanga dish.

The first thing first is to pan-fry the pork belly

This is a very important step for a refreshingly tasty pork belly. Heat the cast iron work on medium heat for 2 minutes and then add 1/4 cup of avocado oil along with ginger and green onion slices. Use a silicone spatula to spread the oil evenly across the wok base.

The cast iron wok works great for pan-frying pork belly. It can handle high heat, and the curve in the bottom fits perfectly to the curve of the pork belly skin side to make sure all pork belly skin is thoroughly pan-fried.

pan fry pork belly in the cast iron wok

The pork belly from the grocery store is usually precut in a long strip form already. I usually just go with the precut width and then cut the long strip across in the middle into halves. This way, even if there are bones, it is OK.

Yu Tou Kou Rou {Pork Belly with Malanga} ingredients
Yu Tou Kou Rou {芋头扣肉} Pork Belly with Malanga Ingredients

Before the pan frying, sprinkle a tiny bit of salt over and pat and rub to allow the pork belly to absorb. This is another helpful tip to have a yummy pork belly.

As for the pan-frying process, take the time to sear all surfaces, especially the skin part. I usually pan fry each side for 2 minutes on medium heat and then turn the heat to low and repeat another round.

During the low-heat pan frying, sprinkle the turbinado sugar on the pork belly surface. Not only it makes the pork belly tasty, but the burned sugar also gives a beautiful color. You shall see the burn marks on the pork belly when they are sufficiently pan-fried.

pan fry pork belly in the wok

Secondly is to pressure cook the pork belly for a super soft Yu Tou Kou Rou

Add the previously pan-fried pork belly to a pressure cooker, along with the braising seasoning including Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, cinnamon, bay leaves, and star anise, as well as 1 cup of water. Set the instant pot to pressure cook on high heat and cook for 30 minutes.

After that, turn off the heat and wait for about 30 minutes to allow the steam to release while you are preparing Malanga.

add previously pan fried pork belly along with the braising seasoning to the pressure cooker

To prepare Malanga or taro, peel the skin off and cut it into about 1/4-inch slices. Malanga is generally large and taller than the pork belly itself. I usually cut them into halves so that they are similar in height when stacked together. Then sprinkle a tiny bit of salt and set aside.

Malanga slices sprinkled with a tiny bit of salt

To achieve a firm bite texture, you can use the leftover oil used for pan-frying the pork belly to briefly pan-fry the Malanga slices. 1-2 minutes on each side on medium heat.

Once the steam is fully released from the pressure cooker, remove the pork belly and set them aside on a plate. Add the Malanga slices to the pot to let Melanga soak up the juice for about 30 minutes.

soak the Malanga slices in the pork belly juice

Last but not least is to steam the pork belly with Melanga slices

Add a bed of Mangla slices in the bottom of a large round glass dish, and then add the pork belly slices skin side facing down. Sandwich Malanga slices between pork belly slices. Pour over 2 tbsp dark soy sauce and then some juice from pressure-cooking the pork belly.

arrange and season the pork belly and Malanga before steaming

Add 6 cups of water to the cast iron wok, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Add the round glass dish, cover the wok with the lid, and steam for 15 minutes.

What to do with the extra Malanga or Taro?

If you’ve got one large Malanga, the chance is that you will only fit less than half of it into the dish. However, there will be plenty of pork juice left behind for you to make a super tasty Malanga dish. Do take advantage of the leftover juice by braising the Malanga slices in the pork juice.

Add the juice and Malanga to a saucepan, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a boil. Then turn to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Enjoy a soft and super delicious Malanga!

Braising Malanga in the pork belly juice

How to flip the steamed pork belly?

Once the steaming is done, turn off the heat and wait for about 2-3 minutes before removing the lid. Pour the juice into another bowl and add a large round deep plate to cover the round glass dish, facing down.

use a large round plate to flip the steamed pork belly upside down

Use both hands to hold the plate together with the glass dish and turn the whole thing upside down and then set the plate down.

flip he steamed pork belly dish upside down

Remove the glass dish, pour the juice back on the pork, and garnish with the chopped green onion. Enjoy a super scrupulous pork belly dish with malanga.

Yu Tou Kou Rou {Pork Belly with Malanga Recipe
Yu Tou Kou Rou {Pork Belly with Malanga Recipe

Yu Tou Kou Rou {Pork Belly with Malanga} Recipe

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Yu Tou Kou Rou {芋头扣肉}, or pork belly with Malanga, is a traditional Hakka {Ke Jia 客家} style steamed pork dish. It features a melt-in-your-mouth savory skin-on pork belly with satisfying soft Malanga slices.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb skin-on pork belly, either a slab or grocery precut long strips with some bones is fine

For Pan Frying the pork belly using an instant pot:

  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt, such as Himalayan pink salt
  • a small piece of ginger, thinly sliced
  • 2 stalks of green onion, chopped

For pressure cooking the pork belly:

  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, or naturally aged soy sauce {Jiang You}
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar, turbinado sugar {sugar in the raw} is preferred
  • 4 anise
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 small piece of cinnamon
  • 1 cup of water, boiling water is preferred

For steaming pork belly with Malanga

  • 1 lb Malanga, peeled and thickly sliced
  • 1/4 tsp salt, such as Himalayan pink salt
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce

Instructions

Prep Work:

  • Gather ingredients. If you've got a pre-cut pork belly long strip, just cut across at the half-length.
    Yu Tou Kou Rou {Pork Belly with Malanga} ingredients
  • Wash and rinse the pork belly and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt over the pork belly on both sides evenly, pat, rub to absorb, and set them aside.
  • Peel the Malanga using a heavy-duty peeler and then either use a knife or slicer to cut into consistent about 1/4-inch thin slices, in halves. Sprinkle the 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt over the Malanga slices, pat and rub to absorb, and set them aside.
    Malanga slices sprinkled with a tiny bit of salt

Pan Fry the Pork Belly:

  • Turn the heat to medium-high and heat a cast iron work for 2 minutes.
  • Turn the heat to medium and add 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) avocado oil. Use a heat-resistant silicone spatula to spread evenly across the base of the wok. Add the ginger slices, chopped green onion, and pork belly. Save some green onion for garnishing later.
    pan fry pork belly in the wok
  • Let the pork belly cook for 2 minutes, and then flip to cook the other side for another 2 minutes.
  • Stack up the pork belly with the skin facing down and sear the skin side for 2 minutes.
    pan fry pork belly in the cast iron wok
  • Turn the heat to low, sprinkle the sugar over the pork belly, and repeat to sear all sides of the pork belly, 2 minutes each, until the pork belly is sufficiently pan-fried with some visible burned marks. Turn off the heat.
    pan fry pork belly in the wok

Pressure Cook the Pork Belly Using an Instant Pot:

  • Add everything under "For Pressure Cooking the Pork Belly" to an instant pot, along with the previously pan-fried pork belly.
    add previously pan fried pork belly along with the braising seasoning to the pressure cooker
  • Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. Once it is done, if you are not in a hurry, then turn off the instant pot and let the steam release naturally. Or you can use the quick release to release the steam.
    pressure cooked pork belly in the instant pot
  • Carefully remove the pork belly from the instant pot, as the pork belly might be already super soft, and set them aside on a plate.

Prep Malanga Slices:

  • Optional step - if you'd like to, use the leftover oil from pan-frying the pork belly to pan-fry Malanga slices briefly in a hard anodized frying pan, 30 seconds to 1 min on each side. Initially, you will need 1 minute. As the frying pan warms up, you will need less time. This step will firm up the surface of the Malanga to create a firm bite texture.
  • Soak the Malanga slices in the instant pot juice for about 30 minutes.
    soak the Malanga slices in the pork belly juice

Steam Pork Belly with Malanga Slice:

  • Add a bed of Malanga slices in the bottom of a large round glass dish, and then add the pork belly slices with the skin facing down. Sandwich Malanga slices between the pork belly.
    arrange and season the pork belly and Malanga before steaming
  • Pour 2 tbsp dark soy sauce over the pork belly and Malanga, along with some of the juice from the instant pot.
  • Add 6 cups of water to the cast iron wok, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a boil. Add a steaming rack and the round glass dish and steam for 15 minutes.
  • You can use the extra juice from the instant pot to braise the extra Malanga slices. Add the juice and Malanga slices to a saucepan, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
    Braising Malanga in the pork belly juice
  • Once the steaming is done, turn off the heat and wait for a couple of minutes before removing the lid. Be careful, the glass dish is super hot. Wear insulation gloves to remove the glass dish and pour the juice into another bowl and add a large round deep serving plate to cover the round glass dish, facing down.
    use a large round plate to flip the steamed pork belly upside down
  • Use both hands to hold the plate together with the glass dish firmly and flip the whole thing upside down, and set the plate down.
    flip he steamed pork belly dish upside down
  • Remove the glass dish, pour the juice back on the pork and Malanga, garnish with the chopped green onion, and serve hot.
    Yu Tou Kou Rou {芋头扣肉} Hakka steamed pork belly with Malanga recipe

Notes

  • The classic Hakka Pork Belly with Malanga uses very simple seasoning ingredients, yet extremely yummy and satisfying.

Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 662Total Fat 42gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 27gCholesterol 127mgSodium 1576mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 5gSugar 3gProtein 37g

Nutrition calculation is provided by Nutritionix to the best knowledge per ingredients description and isn't always accurate.

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