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How to Make Salted Pork and Vegetable Rice

The vegetables and salted pork in this dish dance together in harmony, enriched by lard. The rice grains absorb the savory juices, turning a beautiful amber hue. The crispy, caramelized rice crust and crunchy vegetable stems create a delightful double-texture experience, evoking memories of childhood kitchens.

Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★★

Essential Ingredients and Tools

  • Rice
  • Leafy greens (recommended: Shanghai greens, also known as "Ai Gai" or small-headed bok choy)
  • Salted pork (mildly salted)
  • Winter bamboo shoots (optional)
  • Lard
  • Cooking wine (optional)
  • White sugar (optional)
  • White pepper powder (optional)

Calculations

Before starting, determine how many servings you wish to prepare. One serving is sufficient for 3 people.

Per serving:

  • Rice: 300 g
  • Water: 310 ml (300 ml for firmer rice, 325 ml for softer rice; add an extra 20 ml if using winter bamboo shoots)
  • Leafy greens: 400 g
  • Salted pork: 150 g
  • Winter bamboo shoots: 100 g
  • Lard: 15 g
  • Cooking wine: 15 ml
  • White sugar: 0-3 g
  • White pepper powder: 1 g

Instructions

  • If using winter bamboo shoots, slice them thinly and boil in cold water for 10 minutes to remove bitterness.
  • Cut the salted pork into 1 cm cubes.
  • In a cold pot, add 10 g of lard, cooking wine, and white sugar along with the salted pork and bamboo shoots. Stir-fry over medium-low heat until the meat turns translucent and bubbles form.
  • Chop the leafy greens. Separate the stems from the leaves. Cut the stems into 0.5 cm cubes. Cut the leaves into 2-3 cm long by 1-1.5 cm wide pieces.
  • Stir-fry the stems until they turn a vibrant emerald green.
  • Wash the rice thoroughly and add it to the rice cooker with water.
  • Spread the fried salted pork and stems evenly over the rice.
  • Start the normal rice cooking mode. In the last 10 minutes, open the lid and quickly spread the chopped leaves over the rice.
  • After cooking, let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, drizzle with 5 g of lard and white pepper powder, and mix vigorously until well combined.

Additional Tips

  • When spreading the fried salted pork and stems over the rice, do not stir them into the rice during the cooking process.
  • Avoid buying "hometown fresh salted pork" as it tends to be very salty. If your salted pork is not mild, you can mix in fresh pork belly cubes, reduce the amount of salted pork, or soak the lean meat parts in 5% sugar water for 20 minutes.
  • Reference: Salted Pork and Vegetable Rice - Wikipedia

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement while following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull request.