Pictorial: Steamed Ground Pork with Salted Fish

[hzrt8w]

Steamed Ground Pork with Salted Fish (鹹魚蒸肉餅)

Irwin: You are an honorable Toisanese. This pictorial was produced in your honor for your Happy Birthday. Many people who live in Hong Kong and the vincinity of Guangzhou would know about this steamed pork dish. It is a comfort home-style cooking for many Cantonese.

Serving suggestion: 2

Basic ingredients: 1 lb of ground pork (with a little bit of fat), some ginger, salted fish and some seasoning.

I usually use salted fish immersed in oil. This time, I had chosen a refrigerated package of salted mackerel. The fish pieces looked very appealing.

Marinate the ground pork: Use a mixing bowl. Add 1 lb of ground pork. Add 2 tsp of sesame oil, 2 tsp of light soy sauce, 2 tsp of Shao Hsing cooking wine, 2 tsp of corn starch, 1 tsp of ground white pepper and a pinch of salt (to taste - suggested 1/8 tsp). Shred about 1 inch of ginger. Add about 1/2 of the portion to the mixture. Mix all the ingredients.

Set aside for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the marinated ground pork to a steaming dish. Use a spatula to press the ground pork against the dish, spread the pork evenly on the dish. I used only 1/2 a piece of the salted fish in the package. The fish was a bit thick. I sliced it into 2 halves. Lay salted fish on top of the ground pork. Spread the remaining ginger on top.

Steam this dish in the steamer for about 15 minutes.

Finished dish. Sprinkle some fresh chopped green onions on top.

[torakris]

I have never seen anything like this, the dish or the fish...

It looks great though, any suggestions for a substitute if I can't find those salted fish?

[hzrt8w]

It looks great though, any suggestions for a substitute if I can't find those salted fish?

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There are several variations to this steamed pork dish.

You may use mui choy [Cantonese] (sweet preserved mustard greens), or other preserved vegetables mentioned in the other thread (Click Here). Just soak the preserved vegetables in water for about 20 minutes or so to wash off the over-saltiness, then mix them with the ground pork before steaming.

Another variation uses reconstituted dried squid. Soak the dried squid in water overnight. Clean and drain. Cut the squid into some small strips (e.g. 1 inch by 1/4 inch) and mix them with the ground pork before steaming.

[Fengyi]

Oh yum! yum! yum! I have a jar of the salted fish in oil sitting in the cupboard...it's definitely off to the butchers for the pork, then!

Thank you for posting this - I haven't eaten this for ages! Your lovely pictures brought back a flood of delicious memories (and it's only 9:45am for me!!!)!

[prasantrin]

What's your favourite kind of salted fish to use? When in Thailand last year, I bought this fish . Someone told me what it was, but I can't remember now. I'm hoping to pick up something similar when I'm in Singapore in December. Japan just doesn't have any good salted fish! (known in my family as "stinky fish")

Edited to fix the link.

Edited October 25, 2005 by prasantrin (log)

[Dejah]

What's your favourite kind of salted fish to use?  When in Thailand last year, I bought this fish .  Someone told me what it was, but I can't remember now.  I'm hoping to pick up something similar when I'm in Singapore in December.  Japan just doesn't have any good salted fish!  (known in my family as "stinky fish")

Edited to fix the link.

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That looks like sturgeon(in your link)...one you would be familiar with in Manitoba, prasantrin.

I have heard of people sprinkling 5-spice powder on top of the fish before steaming.

If I want to mix the fish and pork into my rice before eating, I keep the pork "loose" by using chopsticks to mix in the seasonings and don't press the meat into a patty. That way, I get little bits mixed throughout the bowl of rice...along with some sauce, of course!

[prasantrin]

That looks like sturgeon(in your link)...one you would be familiar with in Manitoba, prasantrin.

I'm not a good fish person...I also get salmon and trout mixed up!

I looked it up and someone had told me it was threadfin???? Is that a kind of sturgeon?

I have heard of people sprinkling 5-spice powder on top of the fish before steaming.

If I want to mix the fish and pork into my rice before eating, I keep the pork "loose" by using chopsticks to mix in the seasonings and don't press the meat into a patty.  That way, I get little bits mixed throughout the bowl of rice...along with some sauce, of course!

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That sounds divine!

[AzianBrewer]

Torakris-

Try using flat anchovies that came in a sardine can or the bacalao (dried cod). Make sure you soak the bacalao several times.

[I_call_the_duck]

I didn't have salted fish, but I did have gnap gawn lap cherng (duck liver lap cherng), so I made this for dinner last night:

Just like mom makes. I'm afraid I may have scared some people in the Dinner thread with this pic.

Edited December 6, 2005 by I_call_the_duck (log)

[hzrt8w]

I didn't have salted fish, but I did have gnap gawn lap cherng (duck liver lap cherng), so I made this for dinner last night:

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Beautiful! Where did you get your duck liver lap cheung, Karen? I tried shopping for it in San Francisco China Town a few weeks ago. They told me they haven't carried this for a long long time because the FDA banned import of duck liver.

Also, did I see some shreds of "chung choy" (preserved daikon turnip) in your dish?

[I_call_the_duck]

I didn't have salted fish, but I did have gnap gawn lap cherng (duck liver lap cherng), so I made this for dinner last night:

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Beautiful! Where did you get your duck liver lap cheung, Karen? I tried shopping for it in San Francisco China Town a few weeks ago. They told me they haven't carried this for a long long time because the FDA banned import of duck liver.

Also, did I see some shreds of "chung choy" (preserved daikon turnip) in your dish?

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Thanks, Ah Leung. No, that's ginger on top. I also put some on the bottom of the dish. The lap cheung has been sitting in my fridge for awhile (don't ask how I managed to do that!). But before that, I got them from my mom, who lives in NYC. She didn't mention having trouble finding some. I did see them here in Philly too. Dad used to make this dish with dried duck liver, but stopped when I guess the FDA banned them. He was happy when he found the duck liver lap cheurng (so were we).

The FDA also banned the import of (raw) salted duck eggs. I ran out a few weeks ago, and now I can't find them.

[miladyinsanity]

I like this better with 5-spice powder.

Great pics!

[Pan]

I didn't have salted fish, but I did have gnap gawn lap cherng (duck liver lap cherng), so I made this for dinner last night:

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Beautiful! Where did you get your duck liver lap cheung, Karen? I tried shopping for it in San Francisco China Town a few weeks ago. They told me they haven't carried this for a long long time because the FDA banned import of duck liver.[...]

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Aren't there plenty of domestic ducks?

[Dejah]

The FDA also banned the import of (raw) salted duck eggs. I ran out a few weeks ago, and now I can't find them. 

You can brine your own (duck) eggs:

Just make a heavy brine with salt and hot water (the brine is salty enough when an egg will float in it). Let it cool down. Put your eggs in the brine and place a bowl, plate, whatever on top of the eggs to weigh them down.

I can't get duck eggs here, but I can get double yolk chicken eggs. I like these because the yolk is the best part!

I used a wide mouth glass jar that commercial size relish/pickles, etc come in. Or, you can scour flea markets and get an old fashioned crock. Keep the brine and eggs in a cool place for about 3 weeks. Test one to see if the yolk has hardened. If yes, then the eggs are ready for use.

Clean the brine off the eggs and store them in the fridge.

[I_call_the_duck]

Thanks, Dejah!

I did notice a thread that had the instructions for brining your own duck eggs, but haven't gotten around to making them. Mom also says that using chicken eggs work just as well. I just recently noticed a place that sells duck eggs for $0.50 each. Unfortunately, this is one of the few things my husband doesn't really like so I have to wait until he's out of the house before I can make it.

[Ben Hong]

I like this better with 5-spice powder.

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Errr...5-spice powder with salt fish and meat patty? Truly Chinese cuisine is evolving before our very eyes.

Btw. that fish that Prasantin posted is definitely NOT sturgeon. I don't know what it is from the picture as it is distorted by the preservation process (but I am not an ichthyologist).

[Dejah]

I like this better with 5-spice powder.

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Errr...5-spice powder with salt fish and meat patty? Truly Chinese cuisine is evolving before our very eyes.

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I've heard of cooks using 5-spice on salty fish, and that it is very good. I haven't tried it tho'.

[Nathan_Lim]

Hi prasantrin. I have the impression that you live in Canada. My parents and sisters live in Vancouver, BC. They are able to buy Canadian-made dried and salted fish packed in vegetable oil in the local Chinese supermarkets there. I believe the label said that perch was the fish used. It lasts forever in the fridge.

I was in Shanghai 3 years ago and I bought dried salted fish from the large food emporium across the street from the Ramada hotel. I don't remember the name of the street but it was a pedestrian-only street and quite famous. It was vacuum-packed. I don't know what fish it was but it certainly had very large scales, so it must have been a sizable one. I tried to use it as is for salted fish fried rice but was disappointed with its tough texture. I stuffed the rest of the package's contents in the oil-filled jar of the salted perch and promptly relegated it to the back of the fridge.

It was only yesterday that I decided to try to steam it to soften and rehydrate it, and I had excellent results. It was soft and tender just like the salted Canadian perch in vegetable oil. Anyhow, the long and short of this is that you mustn't despair if all you can find is dried salted fish with the texture of petrified prosciutto. Hope this helped.

nathan

That looks like sturgeon(in your link)...one you would be familiar with in Manitoba, prasantrin.

I'm not a good fish person...I also get salmon and trout mixed up!

I looked it up and someone had told me it was threadfin???? Is that a kind of sturgeon?

I have heard of people sprinkling 5-spice powder on top of the fish before steaming.

If I want to mix the fish and pork into my rice before eating, I keep the pork "loose" by using chopsticks to mix in the seasonings and don't press the meat into a patty.  That way, I get little bits mixed throughout the bowl of rice...along with some sauce, of course!

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That sounds divine!

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