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Fen zheng rou
Steamed pork in rice powder
Fěn zhēng ròu (粉蒸肉): pork coated in spiced toasted rice powder and steamed until tender
ChineseIn Wuhan and Chengdu, fen zheng rou comes to the table in the small bamboo steamer it was cooked in, at banquets and at family dinners in autumn: thick slices of pork belly marinated with fermented bean paste, soy and spices, rolled in coarse rice powder toasted with star anise and Sichuan pepper, then steamed for an hour over sweet potato until the meat is meltingly tender and the rice coating soft and fragrant. This is a pork dish, and a rich one; it was in the healthy group only because it is steamed, not fried. A portion is about 420 kcal. Marinate in the fridge. The common mistake is grinding the rice too fine; it should be like coarse couscous, or it turns into paste. Chef's tip: toast the rice slowly until golden before grinding; that nutty, toasty smell is the whole flavour of the dish.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rice powder
- 2 ⅞ oz long-grain or glutinous rice
- ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns
For the pork
- 1 ⅛ lb pork bellyskin off, cut into 5 mm slices
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing winecontains alcohol, which cooks off; or water
- ¾ in fresh gingergrated
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 sweet potatopeeled, cut into 1.5 cm slices
- 1 spring onionsliced
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Toast 2 ⅞ oz long-grain or glutinous rice, 1 star anise and ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over a medium-low heat, stirring, for 8–10 minutes, until the rice is golden and smells nutty. Cool, then grind coarsely, like coarse couscous. Discard any large bits of star anise.
10 minStep 2: Mix 1 ⅛ lb pork belly with 1 tbsp doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste), 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, ¾ in fresh ginger and 1 tsp sugar. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.
20 minStep 3: Add 3 tbsp water and the rice powder to the pork and mix until every slice is coated. Stir in 1 tbsp sunflower oil.
Step 4: Line a bamboo steamer or heatproof bowl with 1 sweet potato and lay the pork slices over in overlapping rows.
Step 5: Steam over boiling water on a high heat for 60 minutes, topping up the water as needed, until the pork is very tender when pierced and the rice coating is soft. The pork will be far above 160°F.
60 minStep 6: Scatter with 1 spring onion and serve in the steamer.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fen zheng rou take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of long-grain or glutinous rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of star anise?
- ½ tsp aniseeds or fennel seeds per star.
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