Mei Cai Kou Rou, a dish of braised and then steamed pork belly, ranks high on the list of Chinese comfort foods. It is also a suitable celebratory dish for Chinese New Year dinner or other special occasions.
A dish that makes you regret your motherland if you are Chinese, a dish that makes you regret your childhood if you are me, and a dish that makes you regret Yong He Da Wang (a fast food chain in China that does a great job with this steamed pork belly dish) if you’re Kaitlin.
Note: This post was originally published in January 2015. We have since updated it with more information on preparing canned vegetables, clearer photos, and metric measurements. The recipe is always the same. Enjoy!
A spectacular dish
Mei Cai Kou Rou is a dish that it seems labor intensive. You can tell your guests that you’ve been cooking all day!
In reality, the most difficult part of this dish is washing the preserved vegetables (it is very important to wash them carefully).
That said, if you want an even simpler version of this dish, try our braised pork belly with meigan cai, where the pork belly is cooked in smaller pieces.
Ultimately, this is a very special Chinese pork belly recipe. The preserved mustard really adds a unique and very addictive flavor.
How to prepare Meigan Cai
Ok, let’s talk about how to prepare these dried vegetables. They tend to be quite sandy and you don’t want any sand in your final dish!
- First you need to soak them for a maximum of 5-6 hours in a large basin.
- Secondly, you need to wash them 6-7 times, until the water is completely clear.
It will not be enough to wash them in a colander under running water. Take the largest bowl or basin you have and soak/rinse it at least 6 times.
While it may seem like a lot of work, it actually only takes a few minutes of active preparation.
I used to buy the dried mustard greens that came in a box and they seemed to be better quality than the brands that came in a plastic bag. If you can find it, get it!
Mustard can also be salty (different brands have different levels of saltiness, and much of the salt is removed during the washing process), so be sure to add the soy sauce gradually and taste along the way.
Mei Cai Kou Rou: Recipe Instructions
Prepare dried preserved mustard greens. Soak for 5-6 hours.
Then wash them in a large basin of water 6-7 times to remove all the sand and dirt. Drain and set aside.
Place the pork belly in a pot and cover with cold water. Add the ginger slices and star anise. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 35 minutes. Remove the pork and set aside.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in the wok over medium heat. Brown the pork first on the skin side and then on the other sides.
Once browned, add a teaspoon of dark soy sauce and a tablespoon of water. Carefully coat the pork in the liquid. Turn off the heat and let the pork cool in the wok.
Carefully cut the pork into ½-inch pork belly slices. Arrange them neatly in the bottom of a shallow heatproof bowl.
In the wok, add another tablespoon of oil and the brown sugar. Cook the sugar until it melts and turns a caramel color. Add the chopped ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the preserved vegetables and stir for a couple of minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine, and 1 cup chicken broth. Bring to the boil and then turn off the heat.
Pour the preserved vegetable mixture over the pork belly slices in the bowl. Spread it evenly to cover the entire pork.
Place the bowl in a steamer and steam for 75 minutes. Check out our post on how to set up a steamer if you’re not familiar with steaming food in Chinese cooking.
Remove the bowl from the steamer. Carefully pour excess liquid into the wok (you will use this liquid to make the sauce).
Bring the liquid to a gentle boil. Mix the cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch combined with 1 tablespoon water) to thicken it.
Cover the bowl of steamed pork belly with the serving plate and invert onto the plate.
Pour the sauce onto the plate and serve. This steamed pork belly dish is glorious with a bowl of white rice!
Mei Cai Kou Rou (Steamed Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard)
Mei Cai Kou Rou is a dish of braised and steamed pork belly with preserved mustard, and it’s at the top of the list of Chinese comfort foods!
serve: 6
Preparation: 7 hours
Cooked: 2 hours
Total: 9 hours
Instructions
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Prepare the preserved vegetables. Soak for 5-6 hours. Then wash them in a large basin of water 6-7 times to remove all the sand and dirt. Drain and set aside.
-
Place the pork belly in a pot and cover with cold water. Add the ginger slices and star anise. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 35 minutes. Remove the pork and set aside.
-
Heat a tablespoon of oil in the wok over medium heat. Brown the pork skin part first and then the other sides. Once browned, add 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce and a tablespoon of water and carefully cover the pork with the liquid. Turn off the heat and let the pork cool in the wok.
-
Carefully cut the pork into ½-inch slices and arrange them neatly in the bottom of a shallow heatproof bowl. In the wok add another spoonful of oil and sugar. Cook the sugar until it melts and turns a caramel color. Add the chopped ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the preserved vegetables and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and chicken broth. Bring to the boil and then turn off the heat.
-
Pour the preserved vegetable mixture over the pork belly in the bowl and spread it evenly to cover the entire pork. Place the bowl in a steamer and steam for 75 minutes.
-
Remove the bowl from the steamer and carefully pour the excess liquid into the wok (you will use this liquid to make the sauce). Bring the liquid to a simmer and add the cornstarch slurry to thicken it. Cover the bowl of pork with the serving plate and invert it onto the plate. Pour the sauce onto the plate and serve. This dish is glorious with a bowl of white rice!
nutritional values
Calories: 671kcal (34%) Carbohydrates: 7G (2%) Protein: 13G (26%) Fat: 65G (100%) Saturated fats: 22G (110%) Polyunsaturated fats: 8G Monounsaturated fat: 31G Trans fats: 1G Cholesterol: 82mg (27%) Sodium: 686mg (29%) Potassium: 517mg (15%) Fiber: 1G (4%) Sugar: 4G (4%) Vitamin A: 66UI (1%) C vitamin: 1mg (1%) Soccer: 25mg (3%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
