Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Cantonese Hairy Gourd Rings Stuffed with Pork
豬肉釀節瓜甫
Recipe overview
Thick hairy-gourd rings are filled with seasoned pork, steamed until tender and juicy, then finished with a light clear glaze.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 700 g hairy gourd
- 350 g minced pork
- 3, soaked dried shiitake mushrooms
- 20 g spring onions
- 120 ml water
Filling seasoning
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 0.5 tsp sugar
- 0.25 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Finishing slurry
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
02
Tools
- large covered steamer wok
- heatproof plate
- small saucepan
- large bowl
- small bowl
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- teaspoon
- steaming rack
- food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Soak the mushrooms
Soak dried shiitake until soft, squeeze dry, remove stems and dice finely.
Step 2
Chop the onions
Wash, drain and finely chop spring onions, reserving a little green part for finishing.
Step 3
Mix the filling
Combine pork, mushrooms, onions, soy, oyster sauce, sugar, pepper, 1 tbsp cornstarch and sesame oil.
Step 4
Stir until sticky
Stir firmly in one direction for 2 to 3 minutes until sticky, then chill for 10 minutes.
Step 5
Prepare the gourd
Peel away the hairy tough skin, rinse and cut into six even 3 cm-thick rounds.
Step 6
Hollow the rings
Scoop out the centre of each round, leaving a 1 cm-thick base to form a deep cavity without piercing through.
Step 7
Stuff with pork
Divide filling into six, press firmly into each cavity and smooth the tops.
Step 8
Prepare the steamer
Arrange rings on a heatproof plate and bring water over a steaming rack to vigorous steam.
Step 9
Steam until cooked
Place the plate on the rack, cover and steam over high heat for 15 to 18 minutes.
Step 10
Check doneness
The pork centre must have no pink and reach 71°C; a chopstick should easily pierce the gourd.
Step 11
Make the clear glaze
Boil plate juices with 120 ml water; restir the slurry and add gradually until the liquid lightly coats a spoon.
Step 12
Glaze and finish
Spoon glaze over the stuffed rings, scatter reserved onion greens and serve hot.
Common mistakes
- Uneven gourd rings cook at different rates.
- Piercing the base loses juices and lets filling fall out.
- Filling that is not stirred until sticky loosens during steaming.
- Relying only on steaming time can leave the pork centre undercooked.
Tips
Keep every ring about 3 cm thick with a 1 cm base, pack the filling firmly, steam to a 71°C centre and add slurry gradually.
