If you've tried our Steamed Egg recipe, try jazzing it up by adding more filling ingredients! One of our favorite ways to change it up is by adding a simple layer of minced pork. The layered result adds more texture, flavor, and body to the classic version of steamed eggs!
Check out a quick story summary of our recipe!
Main Ingredients
95% lean
)or more, to taste
)Pork Marinade
Egg mixture
1.5:1 ratio to the amount of egg
)Misc
for greasing the plate
)Getting the firmness and texture of steamed eggs just right comes easily to my dad, but that's not quite the case with the rest of us! As a general rule, the best ratio that results in a medium firm texture that our family prefers is a 1.5:1 water to egg ratio. In our video, that means 9 fl oz of water to 3 eggs.
In order to get a silky texture, there are a few things to keep in mind.
My dad has scary magic hands and can simply lift hot dishes out of a steamer without burning his fingers. The rest of us mortals can exercise some more caution and use some nifty tools to protect ourselves.
Many Cantonese households that often make steamed dishes keep a plate lifter in the kitchen. They're a cross between claws and tongs. To use it, place your palm over the top of the gadget, hook your thumb over the rung on one side, and hook your index and third finger over the rung on the other side. You'll be able to open and close the lifter as you open and close your hand.
Open the lifter wide enough to fit over the opposite edges of the dish, then close to clamp around it. Now you can gently lift and move the dish in and out of scary steamers!
With this lifter, your hand and arm are still going to be over the dish and any wafting steam, so be quick when you're hovering over the steamer.
You can find this in the kitchen accessories section of most Chinese grocery stores. If you can't find it near you, you can purchase it on Amazon here.
Otherwise, you can also use oven mitts. Just be careful not to dip them into the steaming water!
In a small bowl, make the marinade by mixing together cornstarch (1 tbsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), salt (0.50 tsp), white pepper (0.25 tsp), and water (2 tbsp). Add the ground pork (5 oz) and mix thoroughly to coat.
Once the meat is well combined with the marinade, add oil (1 tsp) and stir to combine.
Finely chop the green onion (1 stalk). This will be for garnish, and you don't want to be sprinkling large, astringent surprises over your dish.
Crack eggs (3 ) into a measuring cup or a medium-sized bowl. Beat them well until homogeneous. There should not be any noticeable streaks of egg white or yolk.
Season the beaten eggs with salt (0.50 tsp). Add warm water (9 fl oz). Make sure it's not too hot, or it will start cooking the egg and the texture will turn out weird and lumpy. The ratio of water to egg should be approximately 1.5:1, though you can adjust it with slightly more water for a more tender result, or with slightly less water for a firmer texture.
Stir gently to combine.
Choose a flat dish with steep walls that are an inch or so deep. It can be any heat-safe material. Stainless steel conducts heat better, so the food will cook slightly faster. Ceramic and porcelain are slower at conducting heat, and retain heat better, so the food will take longer to cook through but will cook more evenly.
Once you have found a suitable dish, spread oil (1 tsp) all around the bottom and sides to prevent the pork and egg from sticking. Then, transfer the marinated pork to the dish and spread it evenly to create a thin, flat layer along the bottom of the dish.
Set up a pan or wok with a steamer rack and enough water to reach the steamer rack. To save time, you can boil the water ahead of time in a kettle.
It's your personal choice whether to add enough water to touch the dish, or to go just below the dish. If the water touches the dish, everything will cook faster, but there's a higher risk of the water boiling up and into the dish. If the water is below the dish, everything will take longer to cook. Either way, make sure to have enough water so that it will not all boil off to leave you with a dry pan or wok!
Once the water in the wok has come to a boil, place the dish of meat onto the steamer rack, cover the wok with a lid, and steam it for 3-5 minutes on medium heat--hot enough to keep the water steaming nicely, but not too hot that the water is wildly turbulent. The pork should come out about 80% cooked. A good indicator to look out for is when juices start forming.
When the pork is about 80% cooked through and you can see some liquid pooling around it, it's time to add the egg layer.
Give the egg mixture a quick stir and uncover the lid.
Gently pour the egg all over the layer of pork. Pour slowly so it doesn't splash out. For a smoother, silkier texture, you can optionally pour it through a mesh sieve or strainer.
To prevent condensation from dripping from the lid down into the dish, use plastic wrap or a plate to cover the dish. Then cover with the lid.
Steam for an additional 5-6 minutes on medium heat. Then, turn off the heat and let the residual heat continue the cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
Throughout the cooking process, keep an eye on the water and lower the heat if it boils too vigorously, or raise the heat if there's not enough steam to cook.
You'll know it's done when the egg has firmed up and doesn't jiggle too much. If it's very jiggly and still watery, steam for another minute on medium heat, then turn off the heat and steam it until it's firm.
Carefully lift the dish out of the steamer. Use oven mitts or a plate lifter to help.
Garnish with the chopped green onion, and serve. Enjoy!
Main Ingredients
95% lean
)or more, to taste
)Pork Marinade
Egg mixture
1.5:1 ratio to the amount of egg
)Misc
for greasing the plate
)In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch (1 tbsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), salt (0.50 tsp), white pepper (0.25 tsp), and water (2 tbsp). Add the ground pork (5 oz) and mix thoroughly to coat.
Once the meat is well combined with the marinade, add oil (1 tsp) and stir to combine.
Finely chop the green onion (1 stalk).
Crack eggs (3 ) into a measuring cup or a medium-sized bowl. Beat them well until homogeneous.
Season the beaten eggs with salt (0.50 tsp), add warm water (9 fl oz), and stir to combine.
In a flat dish with steep walls, suitable for steaming, spread oil (1 tsp) all around the bottom and sides to prevent the pork and egg from sticking. Then, transfer the marinated pork to the dish and spread it evenly to create a thin, flat layer along the bottom of the dish.
Set up a pan or wok with a steamer rack and enough water to reach the steamer rack. Bring the water to a boil.
Place the dish of meat onto the steamer rack, cover the wok with a lid, and steam it for 3-5 minutes on medium heat.
Give the egg mixture a quick stir and uncover the lid.
Gently pour the egg all over the layer of pork. Pour slowly so it doesn't splash out. Optionally, pour it through a mesh sieve or strainer for a silkier texture.
To prevent condensation from dripping from the lid down into the dish, use plastic wrap or a plate to cover the dish. Then cover with the lid.
Steam for an additional 5-6 minutes on medium heat. Then, turn off the heat and let the residual heat continue the cooking for another 3-4 minutes. It's done when the egg has firmed up and doesn't jiggle too much.
Carefully lift the dish out of the steamer.
Garnish with the chopped green onion, and serve. Enjoy!
We have many, many happy memories of enjoying this dish growing up.
Now, hopefully, you can create your own memories with this dish with your loved ones.
Also, I cordially invite you to eat with us and learn more about the dish, Chinese culture, and my family.
Cheers, and thanks for cooking with us!
Feel free to comment below if you have any questions about the recipe.
