Chinese-Style Steamed Eggs with Minced Pork and Shallot

If you have never had Chinese-style steamed eggs (or its Japanese counterpart, chawanmushi), it is best described as a savory egg custard. In this version, eggs are whisked together with stock and some seasonings and then steamed until a soft custard has formed. This custard is then topped with an ultra-savory mixture of caramelized shallots and pork, fresh scallions, and a drizzle of soy sauce. Served with some steamed rice, this dish makes a great weeknight meal alongside some simply stir-fried vegetables.

Tools

In order to steam the custard, you will need a bowl to cook the custard in and a steamer or large pot. The bowl that you choose should be heat resistant, comfortably hold about 2.5 cups of liquid, and be able to fit into your steamer (or pot). Try to use the widest bowl that will fit in your steamer. This will let the egg mixture have more surface area, which will allow it to cook more quickly.

If you do not have a dedicated steamer in your kitchen, you can easily use a large pot to steam the custard. All you need to do is fill the pot with about 1/2 inch of water and find something to place in the bottom of the pot to hold the custard above water level. If you have a small wire rack that will fit in your pot, that is a good option, if not, some strategically crumpled up aluminum foil does the trick.

The Pork

While you could certainly purchase pre-ground pork for this dish, I prefer to cut the pork by hand. Hand-cut pork can be made a bit coarser which gives the dish a pleasant texture. Braising cuts such as pork belly or pork shoulder are ideal for this dish because the meat will stay moist as it cooks. Pork loin has a tendency to dry out a bit when cooked in this manner.

Goes well with:

• Steamed jasmine rice
• Stir-fried pea leaves with garlic
• Stir-fried romaine with chili and garlic
• Twice-cooked pork

Chinese-Style Steamed Eggs with Minced Pork and Shallot

Ian Benites

A savory steamed egg custard topped with caramelized shallots and minced pork.

3 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 2 people

Equipment

• Steamer or large pot with a lid
• heat resistant bowl, for steaming the custard

Ingredients

  

Minced Pork Topping

• 2 tsp neutral flavored cooking oil (canola, vegetable, corn….etc)
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced shallot
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 scallion
• 4 oz pork belly or pork shoulder (can also substitute ground pork)
• 1/4 tsp dark soy sauce (optional)
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine (optional, can substitute dry sherry)

Custard

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups chicken stock (or 2 cups water with 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder)
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt (only one tsp if using table salt)
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/8 tsp MSG (optional but recommended)
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (optional, can omit or substitute dry sherry)
• steamed plain rice, for serving (recipe linked above)

Instructions

 

Minced Pork Topping

• Slice the scallion into rounds and separate the white and green parts. the green parts will be reserved for garnishing the dish after cooking.
  
• If you are hand-cutting your pork, it may be helpful to put the pork into the freezer for 15 or 20 minutes so that it firms up and becomes easier to cut.
  
• Cut the pork into thin slices and shingle them on your cutting board.
  
• Cut across the slices to yield thin strips of pork.
  
• Turn the strips 90 degrees and slice them into a rough mince.
  
• Place the thinly sliced shallot into a cold sautee pan with 2 tsp of neutral oil. Turn the heat to medium-high.
  
• Cook the shallots over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes while constantly stirring.
  
• When the shallots have started to get deep brown, add the chopped garlic and the scallion whites. Cook for 20 seconds.
  
• Add the minced pork and break it up while cooking.
  
• Continue to cook the pork while stirring until it has completely cooked through and any liquid released by the pork has evaporated.
  
• Add 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1/4 tsp dark soy sauce. Cook until the soy has absorbed into the pork, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
  
• Place half of the pork mixture into the bowl in which you will be steaming the eggs and reserve the other half for garnishing the finished custard.
  

Custard

• Add 1/2 inch of water to your steamer (or however much water is necessary for your particular steamer).
• Whisk together the 4 eggs, 2 cups stock, 1.5 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp shaoxing wine, and 1/8 tsp msg.
  
• Strain this egg mixture into the bowl containing half of the minced pork mixture.
  
• If there are a lot of bubbles on top of the egg, skim them off with a spoon.
  
• Cover the custard bowl with a layer of plastic wrap to keep any water from dripping into the custard. Bring the water in your steamer to a rolling boil and place the custard into your steamer. Make sure the bowl is not sitting in the boiling water, it should be above the water level. Close the steamer and turn the heat down to low or medium-low.
  
• Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the bowl you are steaming it in. Wider, shallower bowls will cook faster than taller, narrower bowls. The custard can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to steam. Start checking the custard after 15 minutes by gently shaking the bowl, the custard will jiggle like jello when it has finished cooking. If it looks loose and liquidy, it is not done cooking. When you think the custard is done, confirm by inserting a knife into the center of the custard. The knife should "cut through" the custard and come out clean when it is removed.
  
• Carefully remove the bowl from the steamer and garnish the custard with the scallion greens, reserved pork mixture (with any of its oil), and an optional drizzle of soy sauce. Serve with steamed rice.