Steamed Pork with Salted Fish 咸鱼蒸肉饼 is a traditional Cantonese dish featuring juicy minced pork and fermented salted fish, steamed until tender and savoury. A perfect rice-pairing comfort food.
Watch How To Make Steamed Minced Pork With Salted Fish 咸鱼蒸肉饼 – Recipe Video
Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish 咸鱼蒸肉饼 – A Classic Chinese Home-Style Dish
Steamed Pork with Salted Fish (咸鱼蒸肉饼) is a classic home-style Chinese dish that brings comfort and bold flavour together in one simple dish. The rich savouriness of salted fish infuses so well into the coarsely minced pork when steamed, creating an irresistible aroma and fragrant, deep umami taste.
This Steamed Pork with Salted Fish is a childhood favourite comfort home cooked dish especially among the older Chinese folks. With only a few ingredients, this dish proves that true flavour often comes from simplicity. Perfect with a bowl of steamed rice, this steamed meat patty is a favourite in most households for its satisfying taste and near effortless preparation. Truly a delicious traditional Chinese recipe that is super homey, easy to prepare and ready in under 30 minutes.
Main Types of Salted Fish
There are many varieties of salted dried fish at Chinese markets, but the kind you want to get is the fermented variety for this dish. For this recipe, choose fermented salted fish (not dried salted fish), which has better aroma and flavour release when steamed.
- Salted Mackerel / Salted Ikan Tenggiri (Best Choice) – 马鲛咸鱼
- Oily and aromatic when steamed
- Strong umami flavour that infuses beautifully into pork
- Most recommended for this dish
- Salted Threadfin / Salted Ma Yau – 咸马友鱼
- Also a good choice for this dish as it has softer flesh
- Milder smell as compared to Mackerel
- Great for those who prefer a lighter salted fish profile
- Salted Croaker – 咸黄花鱼
- Firmer texture and more intense saltiness
- Use sparingly unless you prefer bold, punchy salted fish flavour
- Dried Salted Fish (Not Recommended for this recipe) – 咸鱼干
- Very strong smell and is very salty.
- Better used for fried rice, braised pork belly or stir fried dishes.
How to Choose Good Salted Fish (Buying Tips)
When choosing salted fish for steaming pork:
- Look for salted fish that has slight oiliness on the surface and do not have a slimy surface. This is a sign of quality fermentation.
- Also look for salted fish that has yellowish or golden flesh and not grey flesh.
- Choose salted fish that has clean sea brine aroma. Avoid salted fish that has strong ammonia smell.
Best Pork Cuts for Steamed Minced Pork
For steamed Minced Pork, the key is choosing a cut with the right fat contents so it stays juicy, soft and not dry. Ideally, aim for 70% lean and 30% fat. When buying look for slight marbling, meat that is pink-red colour and smell fresh.
- Pork Shoulder / Pork Butt is the best choice.
- It has natural marbling (Fat evenly mixed in).
- Stays moist, tender with a springy texture after steaming.
- Pork Collar / Pork Neck.
- This is a good alternative. The meat is slightly fattier and very aromatic.
- It is very tender and excellent for richer flavour.
- If possible, avoid extra-lean pork or pre-ground supermarket mince (often too dry).
Ingredients You Need for Making Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish
- Minced Pork
- Salted fish (Fermented Variety)
- Ginger
- Spring Onion
- Ground White Pepper (Seasonings)
- Salt
- Light Soy Sauce
- Sugar
- Cornstarch + water (slurry)
Overview On How to Make Steamed Pork With Salted Fish
Part 1: Prepare Ingredients
- Mince pork with a cleaver and set aside.
- Clean salted fish and pat dry. Then pan fry till golden brown and cut into small pieces.
- Peel ginger to remove skin. Dice half of it and balance cut into thin stripes.
- Chop spring onions.
- Make cornstarch slurry.
Part 2: Steam Pork With Salted Fish
- Add minced ginger and mix well into the minced pork.
- Add seasonings: a little ground white pepper, salt, light soy sauce and sugar. Using your hand, mix vigorously for a few minutes to incorporate all seasonings and the pork turns sticky.
- Then add cornstarch slurry in batches into the pork, mixing well after each addition. Mix till the meat comes together and is sticky.
- Next add in the bits of salted fish. Using a pair of chopsticks, lightly combine the salted fish into the meat. Then add in a little oil. Stir again lightly to mix well.
- Transfer the minced pork onto a deep steaming plate. Layer the minced pork thinly and distribute evenly on the plate. Spread the julienned ginger over the top.
- Prepare steamer by bringing water to a boil. When ready, place the plated minced pork in the steamer. Steam for 9-10 minutes on medium high heat. Do not over steam. Otherwise the meat will turn tough.
- When done there will be quite a bit of sauce on the plate. Turn off the heat and let the dish rest for a few minutes. Some of the flavourful liquid will be reabsorbed into the meat.
- Remove from steamer and garnish with chopped spring onions. Serve with hot white rice.
How to Serve with Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish
This dish is best enjoyed with:
- Steamed jasmine white rice
- Stir-fried leafy vegetables (choy sum, kailan, baby bok choy)
- Clear soup for a complete home-style Chinese meal
It is famously known as a “rice killer dish” because its aroma makes everyone reach for extra rice.
Important Tips When Cooking Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish
- It is very important to prepare the salted fish by rinsing and cleaning the salted fish. This will help to remove surface salt but keeps the aroma.
- Chop the salted fish into very small pieces. Do not leave large chunks of salted fish so when steamed will result in even flavour and no salty bites.
- Use pork with fat. (70% lean, 30% fat). The ideal meat is pork shoulder or pork neck. Avoid using extra lean meat.
- After adding seasoning, stir in one direction until sticky. This will result in springy, meatball-style softness.
- Add cornstarch liquid into the pork patty to ensure the pork stays smooth and juicy. Add the liquid in batches, mix well after each addition. This will allow the pork to slowly absorb the liquid.
- Salted fish is already salty so minimise the use of salt and light soy sauce.
- Add fresh ginger into the minced pork as this can remove the fishiness taste. The fresh ginger is vital as it balances the fattiness of the pork and the saltiness of the fish.
- Layer the pork patty thinly on the steaming plate.This will ensure faster and even cooking resulting in a softer texture for the meat.
- Use high heat when steaming the pork so the juices is locked inside the meat.
- Do not steam too long. Steam about 10 minutes for normal thickness. Overcook pork will turn dry and tough. Can use chopstick to check for doneness after steaming.
💬 FAQ About This Recipe
Yes. Chicken thigh mince works best as a substitute and stays juicy when steamed. Fish paste is also suitable for a softer texture. Avoid very lean meats like chicken breast or beef, as they tend to turn dry and tough when steamed.
Use fermented salted fish (发酵咸鱼) such as salted mackerel (咸马鲛鱼) or salted threadfin / ma yau (咸马友鱼). Avoid dried salted fish (咸鱼干).
Yes, but choose minced pork with enough fat (about 30%). Freshly minced pork gives the best texture.
Mixing until sticky makes the pork tender and springy instead of crumbly after steaming.
Yes. Light pan-frying boosts aroma and reduces raw fishiness.
Not recommended. Cornstarch keeps the pork smooth and juicy during steaming.
Use pork with fat, spread it thinly, steam on high heat, and do not overcook (8–10 minutes).
No, if seasoned correctly. Salted fish is already salty, so reduce added salt and soy sauce.
You can marinate the pork ahead and steam just before serving for best results.
❤️ Other Steamed Recipes That You Might Like
Steamed Hoisin Ribs In Bamboo Steamer Recipe
Chinese Steamed Chicken with Dried Shiitake Mushroom
Steamed Minced Pork With Salted Fish 咸鱼蒸肉饼
Tap or Hover to Adjust Servings
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 400 gram minced pork, pork shoulder
- 40 gram salted fish, pan fried, removed bones, cut into pieces
- 10 gram ginger, diced and some cut into strips
- 2 strips spring onion, diced
Seasonings:
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
Cornstarch Slurry:
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Have ready all ingredients needed.
Also have ready the seasonings to marinate the minced pork.
First mince the pork with a cleaver or knife. When done, set aside.
Then clean the salted fish by first scraping with a knife on the skin to remove excess scales. Then briefly wash to remove excess and surface salt on the salted fish. Pat dry with paper towel.
Heat up a little oil and pan fry salted fish till turns light brown. Remove any bones and cut into small pieces and set aside.
Dice half the peeled ginger and cut the other half into thin strips.
Chopped some spring onions and set aside.
Lastly make cornstarch slurry by mixing cornstarch with water. Mix well and we are ready to cook the dish.
First transfer the minced pork to a mixing bowl. Add mince ginger, a bit of ground white pepper, a little salt, light soy sauce, and sugar. Using your hand, mix vigorously (in one direction) for a few minutes to incorporate all seasonings.
Then add in the cornstarch slurry in batches, about 3 to 4 times, mixing well (in one direction) after each addition. The cornstarch solution gives the meat a smooth and tender texture. Continue to mix (in one direction) till the meat comes together and is sticky to the touch.
Next add in the small pieces of salted fish. Using a pair of chopsticks, gently fold in the salted fish meat so you get a distinctive mouth-feel and pork-fish separation.Then add in a little oil. Mix lightly before putting into a steaming plate.
Choose a big steaming plate. Layer the minced pork thinly on the plate. Use chopsticks to evenly distribute on the plate. Top with some cut ginger strips.
Prepare steamer by bringing water to a boil. When ready, place the pork patty into the steamer. Steam on high heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
When done, garnish with chopped spring onions, fried garlic and garlic oil for a flavourful taste.
This minced pork with salted fish taste so good with steamed white rice. So be sure to cook more rice to enjoy!
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients:
Steam Minced Pork With Salted Fish:
Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- It is very important to prepare the salted fish by rinsing and cleaning the salted fish. This will help to remove surface salt but keeps the aroma.
- Chop the salted fish into very small pieces. Do not leave large chunks of salted fish so when steamed will result in even flavour and no salty bites.
- Use pork with fat. (70% lean, 30% fat). The ideal meat is pork shoulder or pork neck. Avoid using extra lean meat.
- After adding seasoning, stir in one direction until sticky. This will result in springy, meatball-style texture.
- Add cornstarch liquid into the pork patty to ensure the pork stays smooth and juicy. Add the liquid in batches, mix well after each addition. This will allow the pork to slowly absorb the liquid.
- Salted fish is already salty so minimise the use of salt and light soy sauce.
- Add fresh ginger into the minced pork as this can remove the fishiness taste. The fresh ginger is vital as it balances the fattiness of the pork and the saltiness of the fish.
- Layer the pork patty thinly on the steaming plate.This will ensure faster and even cooking resulting in a softer texture for the meat.
- Use high heat when steaming the pork so the juices is locked inside the meat.
- Do not steam too long. Steam about 10 minutes for normal thickness. Overcook pork will turn dry and tough. Can use chopstick to check for doneness after steaming.
