The CREAMIEST Century Egg and Pork Congee you will ever have. It’s slow-cooked until silky then combined with juicy spare ribs that just melt off the bone. This is the one recipe you’ll be making over and over again!
Century Egg and Pork Congee Recipe
One look at Century Egg and Pork Congee and my body instantly feels nourished. You see, whenever someone gets sick at home, Mum’s first remedy is a big pot of steaming hot congee. It soothes away all the blockages, warms up the soul and leaves the body feeling full but wonderfully light.
Century Egg and Pork Congee is all of that, and more.
Every spoonful is unbelievably silky, infused with delicious porky flavour that has been slowly simmered into the broth.
Then bite into the rich buttery century egg and you’ll not only taste its creaminess, you’ll feel it all the way down to your toes.
I’m telling you know, it’s an otherworldly experience.
But if it’s been too long since you’ve last tried Century Egg and Pork Congee, let me remind you of how your next spoonful will look.
It will look like this straight out of the pot: plump pork bites glistening with silken congee alongside bronzed century eggs.
It’ll look just like home.
What is congee?
If you’ve never had congee before, congee (粥), pronounced ‘jook’ in Cantonese, is a rice porridge often made with rice and water. The cooking technique is fairly similar to making porridge, where you boil and stir the mixture over a stovetop until the grains and water have broken down. The final result ranges from thick to gruel-like, depending on the family’s preference.
What kind of rice is used for congee?
For Chinese and Vietnamese congee, Jasmine rice is the preferred choice because it breaks down relatively quickly compared to other rice grains. It also has a simple flavour profile that allows all the other ingredients to shine.
That’s not to say that other rice types can’t be used. Brown, black, red and purple rice grains are great options if you want some added vitamins and minerals. Or better yet, mix them all up for a rainbow congee bowl!
The only thing to keep in mind is that each grain type will have a different cooking time, so it’s best to keep an eye on it as it cooks and the water level changes.
Everything you need to know about century egg
If you’ve never seen or heard of century egg before, one glance at it and you might run in the opposite direction. I get it.
You may even be wondering how an egg’s golden yolk and egg white becomes brown and…grey.
Rest assured, I have the answers to your questions. Keep reading to find out all about this cherished delicacy!
What is century egg?
Century egg goes by a few aliases. It’s also affectionately known as thousand year old egg, preserved duck egg, millenium egg, pine flower egg, 皮蛋 in Chinese (pronounced ‘pei dan’ in Cantonese) and hột vịt bắc thảo in Vietnamese.
Here’s a breakdown of each part of the century egg:
The shell
The outer shell is a light grey colour with tiny faint darker grey spots. The shell membrane – that thin film that holds the shell together – has distinct black speckles. Unlike freshly boiled eggs, peeling the century egg’s shell off requires patience because it’s more prone to sticking to the egg white.
The 'Egg white'
Once the shell is cracked and removed, you’ll be left with a translucent brown version of the egg white that has the consistency of firm jelly. It’s essentially tasteless and is really just enjoyed for its texture.
The yolk
By far the best part of the century egg. It has a light grey rim surrounding the darker grey or black yolk. It has the creaminess of brie and the taste of regular yolk but with a hint of ammonia. When you cut into it, part of the yolk will stick to the knife.
Seriously, you just have to give it a go before you turn away!
Do I need to cook century egg?
After you buy century eggs from your local Asian supermarket, all you have to do is gently peel the shell off, give them a quick rinse with cold water and they’re ready to be eaten.
The century egg actually gets chemically cooked while it is left to age for weeks, which means no further cooking is necessary after the shell is removed.
How long does century egg last?
For those of you wondering if century egg really is a century or a thousand years old, let me share how it’s made:
Raw duck eggs are wrapped in clay that has been mixed with tea leaves, wood ash, alkalis and salt. The clay-wrapped egg is then coated in a layer of rice husks and left to ‘cook’ in large jars or baskets.
This process actually lasts for weeks to months, clearly debunking the myth about it being a century (or a thousand) years old!
This means that when peeled, it can last as long as a regular egg in the fridge: just a couple of days.
What you'll need to make Century Egg and Pork Congee
- 6 century eggs (or more, depending on your preference)
- 1 1/2 US cup Jasmine rice
- 1/2 tsp salt (to pre-soak with the rice)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 4 L water
- 500 g pork neck (or any pork cut you’d prefer)
- 500 g pork spare ribs (optional)
- 2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder (affiliate link)
How to make Century Egg and Pork Congee
Start by washing and draining the rice grains, then mixing it with the oil and salt. Let it sit for at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add the all pork in. Double boil it as you would with the No-Fail Chicken and Pork Stock.
Take the pork spare ribs out to cool.
Add the pre-soaked rice grains and 1 century egg in along with the salt and chicken bouillon powder. Adding the century egg will give it additional flavour.
Let it simmer on a medium to high heat for at least 20 minutes. We let it cook for 40 minutes for our preferred consistency.
Optional: You can add more water as it cooks to suit your preference.
Bring the heat back up to high and cut the pork spare ribs into smaller chunks. Slice the century egg into quarters (or smaller pieces) and add them to the congee.
Simmer for another 15 minutes then serve hot!
More comforting rice recipes
- Fish Congee (魚片粥)
- Rice Cooker Chicken and Mushroom Rice
- Dried Scallop and Egg White Fried Rice (瑤柱蛋白炒飯)
Rice recipes are the ultimate comfort food, which is perfect for the family. Make sure to enjoy these recipes with your loved ones and make all your favourite side dishes to go along with it!
Lots of Love,
Jeannette
Century Egg and Pork Congee (皮蛋瘦肉粥)
Ingredients
- 6 century eggs (or more, depending on your preference)
- 1 1/2 US cup Jasmine rice
- 1/2 tsp salt (to pre-soak with the rice)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 4 L water
- 500 g pork neck (or any pork cut you'd prefer)
- 500 g pork spare ribs (optional)
- 2 tbsp salt, or to taste
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder (affiliate link)
Instructions
- Start by washing and draining the rice grains, then mixing it with the oil and salt. Let it sit for at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add the all pork in. Double boil the broth.
- Take the pork spare ribs out to cool.
- Add the pre-soaked rice grains and 1 century egg in along with the salt and chicken bouillon powder.
- Let it simmer on a medium to high heat for at least 20 minutes. We let it cook for 40 minutes for our preferred consistency.
- Bring the heat back up to high and cut the pork spare ribs into smaller chunks. Slice the century egg into quarters (or smaller pieces) and add them to the congee.
- Simmer for another 15 minutes then serve hot!
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I would love to try pork congee, but I’m afraid and curious at the same time to try century egg. Although haven’t seen them in the Asian store.
You can try it without the century egg because pork congee is delicious too!
So creamy and so good. I just love the overall feel of this dish, and the steps are easy to follow.
Thanks, Mahy!
If you haven’t yet tried congee with fermented bean curd I highly recommend it. It’s totally become a staple in my diet and something I love to eat. White bean curd with chili seasoning is what I buy, and just have a little nibble of it along with a bite of the congee. I absolutely love it.
Yes, so good! The textures work really well together too. Sounds like something Teo Chew families enjoy for breakfast 😉
My husband kept raving about how much he enjoyed this! Thanks for making me look like a superstar.
That’s lovely to hear! Thanks Jen!
This sounds very interesting. Could I just use regular eggs instead of the century egg or it would change the taste of this dish?
You could use regular egg, but it wouldn’t have the same taste 🙂 The best alternative is to have the century egg in smaller portions or leave it out completely.
What a tasty looking dish! This seems like the perfect comfort food for the whole family.
Thanks, Bintu!
How long do I boil the pork for in step 2? Just back up to a boil, or do I let it simmer for a few hours?
Hi JD, just back up to a boil! You can then pour out the contents, wash the meat and reboil in a pot of fresh water.
Hi, Jeannette. Why would you pour out the contents and add fresh water? Wouldn’t you be throwing out the flavour?
Hi, there certainly is flavor in the first boil of meat and bones, but what you’ll also find is a lot of grime and gunk that comes from within the bones. This turns the stock gritty and murky, which affects the final result of the congee. The second boil (after the bones are cleaned as well), will still bring out flavor but with less impurities than the first boil, leading to a smoother and cleaner taste/texture.
Of course, you don’t HAVE to pour out the contents and add fresh water. Just be prepared to skim a lot more of the floating scum on top of the broth as it cooks.
I hope that clarifies it!
Oh, I see. Understood, and thank you.