Traditional Chinese Steamed Pork-Patty with Salted Egg Yolk

It was totally a bad experience for all Sabahan (including me) for the past two weeks.  The first ever earthquake in Malaysia took place at the our most popular tourist spot, the Mount Kinabalu on the 5th of June at 6.0 magnitudes.  I was alone at home and was in the middle of preparing to go out when it happened.  I thought I was not well and collapsing and at that particular moment I felt like the house is going to turn upside down and I started to hear people screaming and strong running footsteps from my apartment. Without hesitation, I grabbed my handbag and ran out of my apartment too.  Once I was out of the eight storey building and managed to get hold of my husband on the mobile, whom also experienced the same tremor in his office and had confirmed it was an earthquake.

The aftershock had caused my health level went down tremendously, even until now was not fully recovered.  Same goes to my appetite has dropped too.  Suddenly this dish pop-up in my head - steamed pork-patty with salted egg yolk.  I remembered this was what my late mom always like to prepare for me when I am not well and it was suppose to go together with plain rice porridge.

I grown-up from a very conservative Chinese family and I have been always explored with traditional Chinese cooking.  Steaming pork patty is one of them.  It was always blended with either preserved vegetables, salted fish, etc., but the most I liked was when it matched with salted egg yolk.  The minced meat is preferably self-chopped, as then it will produce good tenderness on the patty.  This dish will perfectly go well with plain rice or rice porridge and is simple to prepare.  I promise you will love it very much like I do!





INGREDIENTS

300g minced pork meat (please do not use 100% lean pork as the pork-patty will turn rough and dry, it will be good to mix it with some fats)

Marinate Ingredients:
2 tsp starch/corn flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce

4 salted egg yolks with little of white each

2/3 sprig of chopped spring onions for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS

1.   Combine the minced meat with all the marinade ingredients.  Set aside for at least 15 minutes.

2.   Prepare your steamer or a wok for steaming.

3.   Prepare 4 bowls or you may choose a flat plate to place all the minced meat.

4.   Divide the mixed minced meat into four equal portions and place each of the them in the bowl.  

5.   Slightly press the pork-patty and place one egg yolk together with a little of egg white onto the patty and again slightly press egg yolk down to stick to the patty.  Repeat the same for all four portions.

6.   Place all the four bowls or the plate in the steamer and steam for 20 minutes.

7.   Once done, you may garnish with the chopped spring onions and a few drops of soy sauce and sesame oil.  Serve it when it still hot.