| This is Chinese style meat loaf. Cantonese, to be exact. I've never actually found this in a restaurant, but it is served very often at home. It is probably considered too "low class" to be served at a restaurant, however, it tastes very good when cooked properly. It is somewhat plain (and very healthy), so if eaten over plain rice it may not have enough taste for some people. In that case, add soy sauce. I drink coke with it. I've never tried it with tea, because I don't drink tea during home dinners. However, it probably goes well, because a similar dim sum dish, steamed meatballs, goes very well with Chinese tea, and the methods of preparation are similar.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pork, minced
- 2 scallions, diced
- Some Chinese mushrooms, diced into bits (I add lots of this in)
- 2-3 water chestnuts (optional)
- 1 fresh or salted egg (optional)
Cooking
- Nix the pork with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed in 2 tablespoons of water, and 3 tablespoons of soy sauce.
- Add the scallions, mushrooms and water chestnuts, mix well.
- Spread the pork mixture lightly over a dish.
- If you choose to add the egg, break it over the center of the dish. Be careful not to get the shell on the mixture.
- Steam for 25-30 minutes in a wok. Bring the water to a boil before putting the dish in on a rack and covering the wok. When it is done, let it cool for a bit before serving.
When done, it should look like a meat loaf cake, medium-soft. I've seen people do it with beef, but I've never tried it. |
