RECIPE: Steamed Pork with Chili Oil Sauce

Perfect as a snack, side dish, or topping for rice, this easy to make steamed pork dish is light, satisfying, and delicious! 

For this dish, fatty cuts such as pork belly or pork collar (Boston butt) work best. The fat prevents the meat from drying out or shredding after being steamed. Additionally, steam-cooking locks in moisture, giving the meat a juicy texture. 

To form the base of the dish, boil beansprouts for five minutes, then blanch them in ice water to stop the cooking process. The beansprouts should be soft and tender, but still retain some crunch. Pile the beansprouts into a small mound on a serving dish, then layer the steamed pork slices on top. 

Next, make a sauce by mixing together ponzu, sesame oil, chili oil, garlic, and ginger. The citrus notes from the ponzu, umami of the sesame oil, spice from the chili oil, and aroma from the garlic and ginger combine to create a well-balanced, bright, and flavor-packed dressing. The dressing is poured over and absorbed by the meat and bean sprouts. The crunchy bean sprouts contrast with the moist, melt-in-your-mouth pork for a texturally complex and exciting bite. 

Steamed Pork with Chili Oil Sauce can be served warm, at room temperature, or even chilled, making it the ideal make-ahead dish for a dinner party. Garnish with chopped green onion and ito togarashi (finely shredded Japanese red chili pepper) for extra color and flavor.

Cooking time: 15 mins
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 200g pork (pre-steamed)
• 1 handful bean sprouts
• 4 tbsp ponzu sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp chili oil
• 1 garlic clove (crushed) 
• 1 tbsp ginger (grated) 
• Optional garnish: chopped green onion and ito togarashi (finely shredded Japanese red chili pepper)

Instructions:

1. Cut the steamed pork into bite-sized pieces. 
2. Boil the bean sprouts for 5 mins and pat dry.
3. Mix the ponzu, sesame oil, chili oil, garlic, and ginger in a separate bowl.
4. Place the bean sprouts from step 2 on a plate, top with the steamed pork from step 1 and cover with the sauce from step 3.
5. Garnish with chopped green onion and ito togarashi (finely shredded Japanese red chili pepper) is desired.

Introduction courtesy of Britney Budiman

Britney Budiman (@booritney) is a writer, minimalist, aspiring effective altruist, and runner-in-progress with a penchant for saying “yes.” Previously, she has worked in Cambodia at a traditional arts NGO, in Brazil as a social sciences researcher, and in San Francisco at a housing start-up. She currently lives in the countryside of Kagoshima, Japan, where she teaches English. Her favorite thing in the world is good conversation.