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This delectable dish combines ground/minced pork with a medley of seasonings and is steamed to perfection, resulting in a tender, juicy patty that bursts with savory goodness.
Every time I make this dish, it reminds me of my mom. My mom made this dish probably twice a week. It’s so easy and we all loved it so much. It’s nothing fancy about it, but it’s really satisfying, not to mention filling the tummy. My mom called this “Tim Bak” in Hokkien, Tim means to steam and Bak means meat in general.
What is Chinese steamed pork patty with preserved turnips?
Chinese steamed pork patty, also known as “Chinese steamed minced pork” or “steamed pork cake,” is a popular Chinese dish made from ground or minced pork. It is typically seasoned with a variety of flavorful ingredients and then steamed until cooked through. The resulting patty is tender, juicy, and packed with savory flavors. The patty is in one large size and is meant to be for sharing.
Ingredients
1. Ground/minced pork
I don’t recommend lean pork. You want the patty to be tender. Use ground pork with about 10-15% fat
2. Mushrooms
I use dried mushrooms, but you can use fresh mushrooms and skip the soaking
3. Water chestnuts
You can omit them if you don’t have any, but they add a nice crunch to the meat patty. I use canned water chestnuts, which has been peeled
4. Preserved turnip
The addition of preserved turnip adds some umami and depth of flavor to the pork patty. You can omit if you don’t have any
5. Chinese sausage
This is not typical in Chinese meat patty, but my mom likes to add that on top of the meat patty. It adds some visual contrast and not to mention, extra flavor that nobody in our family has objection on
6. Oil
You can use any neutral-tasting oil. It gives the meat patty a smooth texture
7. Cornstarch
This binds the meat patty together, creating that smooth texture
8. Seasonings: sugar, light soy sauce, fish sauce, ground white pepper, Shaoxing wine
The amount can be adjusted to your liking. It’s pretty flexible on what you want or don’t want to use in the seasonings
9. Green onion
It’s for garnish. You can skip if you don’t like
Chinese Steamed Pork Patty with Preserved Turnip (肉饼)
Ingredients
For meat patty:
- 600 g ground/minced pork preferrably with some fat
- 20 g dried shiitake mushroom soaked and finely chopped
- 4 pieces water chestnuts finely chopped
- 30 g preserved turnip finely chopped
- 1 link Chinese sausage finely chopped
Seasonings:
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
- ⅛ tsp ground white pepper
Garnish:
- 1 stalk green onion
Instructions
Prepare the meat patty:
- Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water until softened. Then finely chop them. You can also put them in a food processor and pulse it a few times to chop them
- Bring the water in a steamer to a boil while you prepare other things
- Add all ingredients for the meat patty, except for the Chinese sausage, and seasonings in a large mixing bowl. Use a chopstick to stir in one direction until the mixture is paste-like consistency
- Test a small amount of the meat mixture by microwaving a small amount for a few seconds until cooked through and have a taste. Adjust seasoning as necessary
- Lightly wet your palms and transfer the meat to a lightly oiled plate. Use a soup plate or pasta bowl type of plate, so it's deep enough and can catch some juice during steaming (delicious meat juice!). Shape the meat mixture into a large patty and pat it down to about 1 1/2 inches in thickness. Sprinkle the chopped Chinese sausage on top
Steaming:
- Place the plate in the steamer and steam over high heat for 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked through
Serving:
- Cut green onion into 2-3 inches long. Then cut into thin strips. Place on top of the meat patty as garnish. The residual heat will soften the green onion strips. Serve warm with steamed rice as part of multi-course meal
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Did you make this Chinese steamed pork patty recipe?
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