Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Hunan Steamed Pork with Rice Flour
湖南粉蒸肉
Recipe overview
Pork belly is coated with home-toasted coarse rice flour and steamed over pumpkin until tender.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 700 g Pork belly
- 80 g Rice
- 40 g Glutinous rice
- 400 g Pumpkin
- 15 g Spring onion
- 20 g Ginger
- 15 g Garlic
- 15 g Fermented black beans
Pork marinade
- 2 tbsp Chilli bean paste
- 1 cube + 1 tbsp brine Fermented beancurd
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
Rice coating
- 60 ml Hot water
- 1 tbsp Neutral oil
Steamer water
- 2 L + 500 ml Boiling water
02
Tools
- Chopping board, chef's knife and grater
- Dry pan, wooden spoon and spice grinder
- Large mixing bowl, measuring spoons and jug
- Rimmed heatproof bowl and large steamer
- Probe thermometer and oven gloves
03
Steps
Step 1
1. Slice pork belly 5 mm thick
Slice pork belly across the grain into even 5 mm pieces so every slice steams at the same rate.
Step 2
2. Toast rice and glutinous rice over low heat for 12 minutes
Toast rice and glutinous rice over low heat for 12 minutes.
Step 3
3. Cool toasted rice and grind it to coarse flour
Cool toasted rice and grind it to coarse flour.
Step 4
4. Grate ginger and garlic; chop fermented black beans
Grate ginger and garlic; chop fermented black beans.
Step 5
5. Marinate pork with chilli bean paste, fermented beancurd, soy, sugar and Shaoxing wine for 15 minutes
Marinate pork with chilli bean paste, fermented beancurd, soy, sugar and Shaoxing wine for 15 minutes.
Step 6
6. Toss pork with coarse toasted rice flour until coated
Toss pork with coarse toasted rice flour until coated.
Step 7
7. Mix in 60 ml hot water and oil until flour is damp
Mix in 60 ml hot water and oil until flour is damp.
Step 8
8. Line a heatproof bowl with 2 cm pumpkin slices
Line a heatproof bowl with 2 cm pumpkin slices.
Step 9
9. Lay pork loosely over pumpkin for steam circulation
Lay pork loosely over pumpkin for steam circulation.
Step 10
10. Steam over fully boiling water on high heat for 45 minutes
Steam over fully boiling water on high heat for 45 minutes.
Step 11
Add the listed 500 ml boiling water to the steamer, then cook 10 minutes more until the pork is tender.
Add the listed 500 ml boiling water to the steamer, then cook 10 minutes more until the pork is tender.
Step 12
12. Check pork reaches 71°C; scatter spring onion and serve hot
Check pork reaches 71°C; scatter spring onion and serve hot.
Common mistakes
- Dark-browning the rice makes the steamed pork taste burnt.
- Grinding the rice to fine powder makes a paste; keep it coarse.
- Packing pork tightly blocks steam circulation.
- Letting the steamer run dry damages the pot; add the listed 500 ml boiling-water top-up at 45 minutes.
Tips
Toast and cool rice before grinding; keep the steamer boiling and add only hot water.
