Chaozhou Preserved Mustard Greens
Pork belly steamed with Chaozhou preserved mustard greens – savory, tender, and full of flavor. The greens soak up the rich meat juices, making this an irresistible comfort dish.
Ingredients
10 items- Pork belly 500g
- Preserved mustard greens (meicai) 100g
- Ginger 3 slices
- Spring onion 2 sections
- Star anise 2
- Light soy sauce 2 tbsp
- Dark soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Cooking wine 1 tbsp
- Rock sugar 20g
- Cooking oil as needed
Nutrition
Steps （6 steps）
Soak the preserved mustard greens in cold water for 30 minutes until softened, then rinse thoroughly to remove any grit. Squeeze dry and finely chop. Set aside.
Place the whole pork belly in a pot, cover with cold water, add ginger slices and cooking wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off scum, then reduce to medium heat and simmer for 25 minutes until a chopstick can easily pierce the thickest part. Drain.
Prick the pork skin all over with a toothpick and evenly brush on dark soy sauce for color. Heat oil in a pan to 170°C (slightly smoking). Place the pork skin-side down and fry over medium heat until the skin turns golden and blistered. Remove, let cool, then slice into 0.5 cm thick pieces.
Leave a little oil in the pan, sauté ginger slices, spring onion sections, and star anise until fragrant. Add the chopped mustard greens and stir-fry over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add light soy sauce, rock sugar, and half a bowl of pork cooking broth. Cook until the sauce slightly thickens.
In a deep heatproof bowl, arrange the pork slices skin-side down neatly. Cover with the stir-fried mustard greens and press down firmly. Steam in a steamer over high heat for 45 minutes until the pork is tender and easily breaks apart with chopsticks.
Once steamed, drain the collected juices into a saucepan. Invert the bowl onto a serving plate so the pork is on top and greens on the bottom. Heat the juices, optionally thicken with a starch slurry, then drizzle over the pork.
Tips
Thoroughly soak and wash the preserved mustard greens to avoid excess salt and grit. When frying the pork skin, cover the pan to prevent oil splatter. Ensure adequate steaming time for melt-in-your-mouth texture.
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