Hakka pork belly with preserved mustard greens, also known as Mei Cai Kou Rou (梅菜扣肉), is one of those dishes I do not cook often because it takes time and quite a bit of patience from start to finish.

But after not having it for a while, I always start craving it again. So when I had all the ingredients on hand, it felt like the right moment to make it.

In the end, it felt really satisfying to go through the whole process and enjoy it fresh from the kitchen.

What makes this dish so special is the preserved mustard greens. As the pork slowly steams, the Mei Cai releases its deep savory aroma and slowly infuses into the pork belly. The result is tender, rich, and full of flavor in every bite.

Let’s go through how I make this traditional Hakka dish.

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Content

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1. Why This Recipe Works
2. Ingredients Breakdown
3. How to Prepare Everything Before Cooking
4. Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
5. What I Learned While Making This Dish
6. Common Mistakes to Avoid 
7. Variations
8. Serving Suggestions
9. How to make preserved mustard greens?

Why This Recipe Works

• Authentic Hakka flavor – Pork belly and preserved mustard greens come together to create a deep, traditional taste that is rich and satisfying.
• Balanced sweet and salty – The mix of sweet and salted mei cai creates a deeper, more rounded flavor instead of relying on just one type.
• Melt-in-the-mouth texture – Long steaming transforms the pork belly into tender slices that are soft and juicy.
• Perfect for make-ahead cooking – Most of the preparation can be done ahead of time, making it ideal for festive meals and family gatherings.

Ingredients Summary

• Pork belly – Fatty and meaty layers that turn tender, juicy, and rich after long steaming.
• Preserved mustard greens (sweet + salted) – The key ingredient, bringing fermented umami with a mix of salty, savory, and mild sweet notes.
• Aromatics (ginger + garlic) – Build the base aroma and help remove any pork odor while enhancing overall flavor.
• Seasoning sauces (light soy sauce + dark soy sauce + Shaoxing wine) – Add depth, balance saltiness, and enhance aroma and color in both pork and greens.
• Balancing ingredients (rock sugar + white pepper powder) – Soften the saltiness with light sweetness and add gentle warmth.
• Cooking oil – Used for frying the pork belly and stir-frying the preserved mustard greens.

How to Prepare Everything Before Cooking

Prepare the preserved mustard greens
Cut off the root and separate the leaves. Wash thoroughly to remove sand and any surface salt or sugar. Change the water several times until it runs clear. Soak for about 15 minutes to further reduce saltiness. You can taste a small piece if needed, especially if using salted mei cai. Squeeze out excess water and cut into small 0.5 cm pieces.

Prepare the pork belly
Check the pork belly and remove any remaining hairs using tweezers, or lightly burn them off with a blow torch if needed. This ensures a clean surface before cooking.

Prepare the aromatics and seasonings
Coarsely chop the garlic and ginger. Prepare the Shaoxing wine, soy sauces, rock sugar, and white pepper in advance so everything is ready before cooking begins.

Note: All ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card below.

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions

1. Stir-fry the preserved mustard greens.
   Heat cooking oil in a wok and sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the preserved mustard greens and stir-fry well. Season with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar, white pepper powder, and Shaoxing wine. Stir until everything is well combined, then set aside.
2. Blanch and deep fry the pork belly.
   Bring a pot of water to a boil and add ginger, Shaoxing wine, and pork belly. Blanch for 10 minutes, then remove and drain. Once slightly cooled, brush with light and dark soy sauce. Heat oil in a pan and deep-fry the skin side down until golden and crispy. Turn over briefly to finish the other side, then remove and let it cool completely.
3. Assemble the pork belly.
   Slice the cooled pork belly into 1 cm pieces. Marinate with light soy sauce and dark soy sauce for about 30 minutes. Arrange in a bowl, skin side down, securing with a couple of slices at the sides. Spread the preserved mustard greens evenly over the pork and press gently to fill all gaps. Pour in the remaining marinade.
4. Steam and finish the dish.
   Steam over medium heat for 2 hours. Check occasionally and add hot water if needed to prevent the steamer from drying out. After steaming, pour out the liquid into a pan and thicken with cornstarch slurry to form a gravy. Invert onto a serving plate and drizzle the gravy over before serving.

What I Learned While Making Mei Cai Kou Rou

Worth the time
This is not a quick dish, but that’s exactly what makes it special. Most of the cooking time is hands-off, which makes it perfect when you want to cook something more indulgent without rushing. It works especially well during festive seasons or when cooking for guests.

Sweet and salty balance matters
Using both sweet and salted preserved mustard greens really makes a difference. The flavor becomes more rounded and balanced compared to using just one type.

Steaming is the key step
The long steaming time is what transforms the pork belly. Without it, the meat won’t reach that soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture that makes this dish so special.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Not washing preserved mustard greens properly – Any remaining sand or salt will affect the final taste and may make the dish overly salty or gritty. Wash thoroughly to avoid this issue.
• Skipping the blanching step – Without blanching, the pork may retain a stronger odor, and the overall flavor will be less clean and balanced. 
• Slicing pork while it is still warm – The pork will break apart easily and won’t give clean, neat slices. Let it cool completely before cutting. 
• Over-seasoning the preserved mustard greens – Different brands vary in saltiness, so always taste after stir-frying and adjust carefully.

Variations for Mei Cai Kou Rou

• Use only sweet mei cai – For a milder and less salty flavor profile.
• Add oyster sauce – A small amount can enhance the overall umami depth of the dish.
• Include star anise – Add during stir-frying the preserved greens for a light aromatic layer.
• Replace mei cai with taro – A different variation using the same steaming method with a soft, earthy texture.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with steamed white rice so it absorbs the rich gravy.
• Pair with a simple stir-fried bok choy to balance the richness of the pork.
• Add a light Chinese soup, such as watercress soup, to complete the meal.

At a Glance

Mei Cai Kou Rou is a classic Hakka pork belly dish with preserved mustard greens, known for its rich, savory flavor and melt-in-the-mouth texture. The pork is blanched, deep-fried, then slowly steamed until tender and infused with the aroma of fermented greens.

Although it takes time, most of the cooking is hands-off, making it ideal for festive meals or family gatherings. Properly washing the preserved mustard greens and allowing enough steaming time are key to achieving the best result.

Best enjoyed with steamed rice to soak up the rich gravy.

Continue to Content

Mei Cai Kou Rou - How to prepare pork belly with preserved mustard greens

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Try Mei Cai Kou Rou, the savory Chinese pork dish with preserved mustard greens for 

a delightful aroma and taste.

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Ingredients

• 150g sweet preserved mustard green
• 150g salted preserved mustard green
• 1kg pork belly
• 4 pieces of ginger
• 2 tbsp of Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp of cooking oil
• 2 tbsps coarsely chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp coarsely chopped ginger
• 2 tbsps light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp white pepper powder
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp rock sugar

Instructions

For the preserved green mustard

1. Cut off the root, separate the leaves, and wash them thoroughly.
2. Change to water several times until the water is clear and clean.
3. Soak it in water for about fifteen minutes to reduce its saltiness.
4. Cut the preserved mustard greens into small pieces about half cm.
5. Saute the coarsely chopped garlic and ginger with oil until aromatic.
6. Add the preserved mustard greens and continuously stir-frying.
7. Season it with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar,  white pepper powder, and Shaoxing wine.

Deep-fried the pork belly before steaming

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Add the ginger, spring onion (green onion), Shaoxing wine, and pork.  Blanch for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the pork belly from the water. Then poke multiple holes in the skin side with a fork.
4. Brush the skin with dark and light soy sauce, then drain the excess liquid on a wire rack.
5. Deep-fry the pork belly skin side down into the oil. Remember to put the lid on as it will splatter vigorously.
6. Fried the skin until golden brown and turn crispy.

Steam the pork belly

1. Cut the pork into 1 cm slices.
2. Marinate the pork slices with light soy and dark soy sauce for half an hour.
3. Arrange the pork slices in a bowl, skin side down. Secure it with two pork slices on both sides.
4. Spread the preserved mustard greens on top of the pork slices, and fill up all the crevices in the bowl.
5. Press it lightly with your hand to ensure that the preserved mustard greens and pork slicers are firmly positioned.
6. Pour the remaining marinade into the bowl.
7. Steam the pork belly and the preserved mustard greens over medium heat for two hours. 

The final touch

1. After steaming, remove the liquid from the bowl and place it into a pan.
2. Thicken it with some cornstarch slurry to form a gravy.
3. Cover the bowl with a serving plate and turn it upend.
4. Drizzle the gravy onto the pork to serve.
5. Garnish with spring onion or coriander leaves to serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 878Total Fat: 62gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 40gCholesterol: 210mgSodium: 1649mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 61g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 03/02/2024