Hi, I am not sure if the above title is correct. Custard in this country usually means a thick sauce made of eggs and milk and it is usually sweet. There is also custard tart that has a custard filling but the custard is firm. I use the name ‘Steamed Pork Custard’ as I think it best describe the dish as it is made of pork and steamed in egg. Ordinarily, I would refer this this as steamed pork with egg’. It is a bit of a mouthful. This dish is savoury.
Steamed pork with egg is a favourite dish with all Chinese in Malaysia. I am confident of the word ‘all’ as I believe anyone who is Chinese and a non-Muslim would have eaten this when they were children. Steamed pork or its cousin, steamed egg, is a perennial favourite for toddlers. Eggs are a great food for children as it is very nutricious and easy to prepare. It is great as a source of protein for children who are moving to solid food. I remember having this when we were young and I still love it today. Every family have their own recipe but it essentially boils down to 2 main ingredients – eggs and meat. Some only steam eggs and others add meat to it. Some have it a bit hard, some a bit softer, all by varying the amount of water in the custard and the amount of minced meat.
My mum liked to make it with minced pork, but you can add any meat you wish, like chicken or turkey. The main thing is that the meat must be really fresh. So I suggest you don’t buy the mince from the supermarket as it gets stale very easily. If you are not careful you might end up with mince that has discoloured. The meat for this dish must have a bit of fat to taste good. However, you might not want to add in the fat, and that is ok as it is entirely up to you.
I use fresh pork loin form the supermarket or butcher and I chopped them up with a cleaver, using the fat around the loin in the mince and leaving the lean meat for something else. I normally cut and prepare my meat in small portions and freeze them. I save time by defrosting the portions when needed. This means I can have instant meat for making quick meals in a jiffy.
Quick info:
Time: about 40 minutes including chopping the meat and steaming
Serves: 4 to 6 with accompaniments
Level of difficulty: very easy
Ingredients:
300g Pork – coarsely minced with a bit of fat
3 large eggs
200ml water
1 tsp salt
I/4 tsp white pepper powder
Garnish
Chopped Spring Onions
White pepper powder
Light soy sauce
Equipment:
A steamer
1 22cm ( or so) diameter x 4cm height ( at least) oven proof dish or baking tin for steaming
Method:
- Prepare the steamer by adding water to the lower tray/pot and bring it to the boil.
- Meanwhile, break the eggs in a bowl or a jug and beat it with a fork.
- Add in all the ingredients and mix thoroughly until all the pork and eggs are well mixed and there are no lumps
- Pour the mixture into the baking tin.
- Carefully place the mixture in the steamer and steam for about 20 to 25 minutes over high heat.
- Check that the mixture is thoroughly cooked by using a spoon and dig and lift a bit of the custard. If the juice runs clear, it is cooked. If the juice is still opaque, steam for a few more minutes until the juice is clear.
- Switch off the steamer and remove the custard.
- Garnish with the chopped spring onions, a few teaspoons of the garlic oil and crisps and a few shakes of pepper powder. Swirl over some light soy sauce.
Dig in and enjoy. Best served warm with rice and other accompaniments.
Do you have a family favourite that you cook time and time again? Do share with me.
Please like and share with your friends so that I can continue to post. Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy this simple dish!!
Until the next post….
Penang Lassie
