Super easy for any weeknight dinner, Grandma’s Steamed Pork Mince with Salted Fish can be made in just ONE DISH. The juicy springy patty is steamed with julienned ginger and everyday pantry seasoning, a secret trick to balancing out the robust savoriness of salted mackerel!
Harmony on a plate
The heart of Grandma’s Cantonese home cooking lies in using simple cooking techniques that pay homage to fresh ingredients. Just like her Tomato Tofu With Minced Pork and Honey Glazed Ginger Chicken, Grandma’s Steamed Pork Mince with Salted Fish is a classic example of that.
If you’ve never had salted mackerel before, this dish is the perfect way to start. Once the mince is steamed, it sets, becoming a soft but wonderfully springy patty.
And when you cut into it with your chopsticks, you’ll be welcomed by a beautiful medley of lightly seasoned mince and fish.
Plus, the ginger is not just there to make things look pretty! We add julienned ginger so that a fresh lemon and peppery essence balances the fish flavor.
Every aroma will seep into the sauce as it steams, which you can pour straight onto your rice. It’s the most comforting meal to come home to!
Why this recipe works
- The salted mackerel is mixed into the patty, which means every bite gets a juicy and robust savory kick.
- Julienned ginger balances the fish flavor so that you can enjoy more of each mouthful.
- Steaming the patty allows the juices to pool around the mince. That’s extra sauce for your rice!
What you’ll need
About the mackerel
You can buy sealed airtight salted mackerel from Asian supermarkets. There are many varieties of fish to choose from, but we use the mackerel because there is more flesh and fewer bones.
How to make this recipe
Start by cutting the mackerel into large chunks. Use a knife to remove the bones from the flesh.
Chop the mackerel into small pieces roughly 1 cm x 1 cm (0.4″ x 0.4″) in size, then mince by hammering at it with a large knife/cleaver for 1 minute.
Note: If you’d prefer to keep the salted mackerel and ground pork separate, you can simply slice the mackerel and lay them on top of the meat.
Combine the mince, mackerel, purple shallots, garlic, sugar, chicken bouillon power, light soy sauce and oil in a steamable dish.
Flatten the mixture in the dish until level.
Top the ground meat with ginger.
Set up your steamer and steam the patty on high heat for 1 hour.
Serve hot with a bowl of rice!
FAQs
For this recipe, we steam it for an hour for the meat to become tender. If you want the patty to be just cooked, you’re looking at about 10-15 minutes on high heat.
The closest ingredient to this would be anchovy, but that would add a different flavor profile to the dish. If you can’t find any, it can easily be left out. It will still taste delicious!
Tips for the juiciest patty
- Use ground pork with a higher fat to meat ratio. The higher the fat content, the juicier the patty.
- Mix the salted mackerel into the mince. Salt helps meat retain moisture, which gives the ground pork a chance to hold onto water better.
- Let the pork mince rest for at least 20 minutes out of the fridge before cooking. Cold meat means a tougher end result, so it’s important to let it relax to room temperature.
What to serve with this dish
- Whet your appetite with a set of crispy and juicy Seafood Rolls.
- Balance the saltiness with a simple Four Cup Chicken (四杯雞).
- If you want to throw in a side of vegetables, Stir Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic will do just the trick!
- You’ll need a recipe to bring it all together, and Dad’s Dried Scallop and Egg White Fried Rice (瑤柱蛋白炒飯) is the perfect one for it.
- Nourish the family with Chinese Watercress Soup (西洋菜汤).
- Finish it off with a Taro and Sweet Potato Balls Dessert (九份芋圓)!
Want more home cooked recipes?
Subscribe to our email list and be the first to get recipe updates as soon as they’re posted. You can also follow Wok & Kin on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!
Steamed Pork Mince with Salted Fish (咸鱼蒸肉饼)
Ingredients
- 2 salted mackerel fish (or to taste)
- 800 g / 1.8 lb pork mince
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 purple shallots, finely chopped
- 8 slices ginger, julienned
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (or to taste)
- 3/4 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Start by cutting the salted mackerel into large chunks. Use a knife to remove the bones from the flesh.
- Chop the mackerel into small pieces roughly 1 cm x 1 cm (0.4" x 0.4") in size, then mince by hammering at it with a large knife/cleaver for 1 minute. Note: If you'd prefer to keep the salted mackerel and ground pork separate, you can simply slice the mackerel and lay them on top of the meat.
- Combine the pork mince, mackerel, purple shallots, garlic, sugar, chicken bouillon power, light soy sauce and oil in a steamable dish.
- Flatten the mixture in the dish until level.
- Top the ground meat with ginger.
- Set up your steamer and steam the patty on high heat for 1 hour.
- Serve hot with a bowl of rice!
Notes
- Use ground pork with a higher fat to meat ratio. The higher the fat content, the juicier the patty.
- Mix the salted fish into the mince. Salt helps meat retain moisture, which gives the ground pork a chance to hold onto water better.
- Let the pork mince rest for at least 20 minutes out of the fridge before cooking. Cold meat means a tougher end result, so it's important to let it relax to room temperature.
- You can buy sealed airtight salted fish from Asian supermarkets. There are many varieties of fish to choose from, but we use the mackerel because there is more flesh and fewer bones.
This looks so flavorful! Love the step by step!
Thanks, Nicole!
This recipe looks so easy to make and garlic/ginger are some of my favorite flavors! Love that it’s a one pot meal too!
Thanks, Anjali! One pot meals are my favorite too!
This steamed pork was so delicious! It was so easy to make and paired great with rice and a side of steamed veggies.
Glad you liked it, Emily! Having it with rice is the best way to enjoy it!
What’s the minimum amount of time to steam? 1 hr seems very long for this dish.
Hi, J! You can steam it for 20 minutes or until it’s just cooked. Steaming it for the full hour is just to have that very tender pork, but if you steam it for 20 minutes then you’ll have a springier bite – both really tasty!
Your recipes always have me wanting to buy more and more at my local asian market. I haven’t had this but it sounds very easy and so good. I love ginger with fish.
It’s a classic that we do love. I hope you get a chance to try it!
I am such a huge pork lover that this dish is right up my alley! I would eat way to much rice with this as it’s so tasty!
You’re just like me! I’d do the same!