In this article, I am delighted to show you my take on a classic Chinese comfort dish – steamed eggs with minced pork. 

While you might not find this particular delicacy at your local Chinese restaurant, it is a favorite home-cook dish among Chinese families. The preparation’s simplicity and high nutritional content make it ideal for everyday meals.

I wrote a detailed post shout the traditional Chinese-style steamed egg (蒸水蛋) a few years ago. Today’s recipe is a delightful twist on the original recipe with minced pork as a topping. The minced pork is first fried to golden and slightly crispy, offering a contrasting texture to the more subtle egg flavor.

The inspiration for this dish comes from another Sichuan culinary gem – fried French beans with minced meat.

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In the following section, I will provide all the essential steps to create the perfect egg custard and prepare the delicious minced pork topping. Following that, a summary of the entire cooking process will be provided for easy reference.

Pork-Free Option:

For those who prefer a pork-free version, you can easily substitute ground chicken meat for an equally delicious alternative. However, remember that minced chicken may have a slightly drier texture due to its lower fat content.

1. Tips for Achieving silky smooth steamed eggs

To produce a steamed egg custard as smooth as a mirror, follow these methods:

1. Avoid overbeating the eggs to minimize the formation of bubbles, which can cause crater-like indentations on the surface of the egg custard after steaming.
2. Filter the egg mixture through a fine strainer before steaming to remove any bubbles.
3. If any bubbles remain on the surface after filtering, break them using the corner of a paper towel before steaming.
4. Opt for a shallow steaming dish with a 2-3 cm depth for the eggs. Stainless steel plates are preferable due to better heat conductivity, though ceramic plates (or other heat-safe material) offer a more elegant presentation.
5. Cover the eggs with a large plate, aluminum foil, or cling wrap (plastic wrap) to prevent water droplets from damaging the smooth custard surface due to water condensation.
6. Steam the eggs on low heat, as high heat can create an uneven surface. The steaming process is approximately 8 minutes. Check the doneness by gently shaking the egg custard and steam for another one to two minutes if needed.
7. Once done, remove the egg custard from the steamer and gently remove the lid or cling film to avoid water droplets from falling on the custard’s surface.

2. The Right Egg-to-Liquid Ratio

The amount of liquid added to the eggs is crucial in creating a silky-smooth egg custard.

For a jiggly egg custard, use an egg-to-liquid ratio of 1:1.75.

In this recipe, a slightly firmer egg custard is desired to support the minced meat topping, reducing the water ratio to 1:1.5. The water ratio is important to achieve the ideal texture.

You can choose between using water or stock for the liquid. While dishes like Chawanmushi use a stock called dashi, I use water in this recipe as the minced pork topping will provide the necessary flavor.

3. The Minced Pork Topping for the Chinese Steamed Eggs

There are two common methods for preparing steamed eggs with minced pork:

1. The first method involves placing raw minced pork on the plate and pouring the egg mixture into the plate before steaming.
2. The second method is to cook the minced meat separately and place it on the cooked custard. I use the second method in this recipe.

Before moving on to the recipe, here are some essential tips to keep in mind:

• Opt for meat with some fat, ideally around 25%, to avoid the meat becoming overly tough.
• Ground meat is easily available at your local butcher or supermarket. While some prefer manually minced meat for its texture, store-bought ground meat is a time-saving alternative.
• The conventional method is to make a meat sauce by adding water and cornstarch after stir-frying the pork. However, I take a different approach by dry-frying the pork until slightly crispy without adding water and cornstarch slurry. The meat is seasoned with light soy sauce, white pepper powder, and salt and slowly fried until golden. This method is aimed to enhance the flavor through the browning effect.
• Though some recipes add diced shiitake mushrooms to the ground meat, I opted for a simpler version today.

4. A Step-by-Step Guide to Delicious Chinese Steamed Eggs with Minced Pork

As mentioned, here is the step-by-step instruction:

Prepare the minced pork:

1. Heat some oil in a pan or wok on medium heat.
2. Add the minced or ground pork and loosen it with a spatula.
3. Season the pork with light soy sauce, ground white pepper, and salt.
4. Add the minced garlic.
5. Continue frying and stirring over low heat until all the juices from the pork evaporate and the meat turns slightly brown.
6. Remove the cooked minced meat from the pan.

Prepare the steamed eggs:

1. Crack four eggs into a mixing bowl and measure the volume.
2. Add water to the eggs, using 1.5 times the volume of the eggs.
3. Season the mixture with some salt.
4. Beat the eggs and water in one direction until they become homogeneous.
5. Pour the egg mixture into a shallow bowl or a flat dish with raised edges through a fine sieve.
6. Use the tip of a folded paper towel to break any bubbles on the surface.
7. Cover the plate with cling film, aluminum foil, or an upturned large plate.
8. Set up a steaming station (wok, steamer rack, steaming dish) and place the plate of eggs in the steamer when the water is boiled, ensuring the plate is level. Make sure there is enough amount of water in the steamer or wok.
9. Cover with the lid and steam over low heat for eight minutes. Make sure the among of water in the steamer is sufficient. Use low heat to ensure the egg custard has a silky texture.
10. Check the doneness and increase the steaming time for another one to two minutes if needed.
11. Remove the egg from the steamer with a plate lifter, and carefully remove the cling film to avoid water droplets on the custard’s surface.

To serve:

1. Spoon the cooked minced meat onto the custard.
2. Drizzle some sesame oil, oyster sauce, and light soy sauce on top.
3. Garnish with thinly sliced green onion before serving.

5. Related Egg Recipes to Delight Your Taste Buds

If you enjoyed the Chinese steamed eggs with minced pork, you’ll love these related recipes that I’d like to share with you:

• Steamed Ground Meat with Salted Duck Eggs: This closely related recipe features a delightful combination of ground meat and salted egg yolks.
• Traditional Chinese Tea Eggs: If you like egg dishes, don’t miss out on this classic Chinese tea egg recipe.