Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Hong Kong-Style Steamed Pork Patty with Salted Fish
港式鹹魚蒸肉餅
Recipe overview
This Hong Kong and Cantonese family steamed dish mixes 70–80% lean minced pork with a modest amount of finely chopped salted fish, finishing with only a few fish slices and ginger. The patty stays tender and juicy, not a preserved-vegetable, dried-squid, salted-egg or pan-fried patty.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 500 g Minced pork
- 50 g Edible salted fish
- 15 g, 2 scallions Ginger
Pork patty seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon White pepper
- 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons Drinking water
Final adjustment
- up to 1/2 teaspoon Sesame oil
- a pinch White pepper
02
Tools
- Large steamer
- rack
- tight lid
- 22–24 cm heatproof round plate
- tongs
- oven mitts
- Large bowl
- bowls
- chopsticks
- spoons
- measuring cup
- scale
- knife
- raw-pork board
- salted-fish board
- kitchen paper
- kitchen paper
- food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Check pork
Thaw fully in refrigerator and inspect it; never rinse raw pork and keep raw tools separate.
Step 2
Prepare salted fish
Reject mould, spoilage or off smell; remove bones and hard skin; chop 30 g and slice 20 g.
Step 3
Cut ginger and scallion
Mince or finely shred 10 g ginger for mixture; reserve remaining ginger and scallion for top.
Step 4
Add base seasoning
Add soy, oyster sauce, sugar, pepper and small amount of cornstarch.
Step 5
Add water in portions
Add 3 tablespoons water in 2–3 portions only after each is absorbed.
Step 6
Stir one direction
Add chopped fish, ginger and sesame oil; stir one direction until slightly sticky, never paste-like.
Step 7
Spread patty
Put into a 22–24 cm heatproof plate and spread evenly 1.5–2 cm thick.
Step 8
Top patty
Scatter salted-fish slices and ginger; do not cover the whole patty.
Step 9
Preheat steamer
Bring water to full boil while keeping water below the plate.
Step 10
Steam steadily
Steam covered over strong steady heat 12–15 minutes; do not lift lid often.
Step 11
Check doneness
Centre must be at least 71°C; steam about 2 minutes more and recheck if needed; no translucent centre.
Step 12
Rest and serve
Rest 2 minutes after heat off, add scallion and retain natural juices.
Common mistakes
- Spreading the patty too thick, steaming before the water boils or lifting the lid repeatedly causes uneven cooking; too much salted fish also makes the dish overly salty.
Tips
Chop part of the salted fish into the patty and place thin slices on top; flatten the patty, steam only after the water boils and confirm 71°C at the centre.
