Chinese
SpicyLa wei he zheng (Hunan steamed cured meats)
Cured pork belly, cured chicken and smoked fish steamed together with fermented black beans and chilli
La wei he zheng, 'cured flavours steamed together', is a showpiece of Hunan's Spring Festival table: a bowl of smoky cured pork belly, cured chicken and dried fish, layered and steamed until their juices mingle. Cured meats are made in the coldest month to last through the holiday, so a heaped bowl promises a family that will never go short. The fat turns melting and translucent, the fish smoky and firm, and fermented black beans and chilli give a salty, fiery lift. The easy route is shop-bought Chinese cured pork belly and sausage from an Asian grocer; many brands contain a little rice wine, so check the label if you avoid alcohol. Serve with plenty of plain rice and a stir-fried green. Chef's tip: steam everything whole first, then slice; cured meat cut cold and hard shreds instead of slicing neatly.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 5
- Per serving
- 420 kcal
Ingredients
- 9 oz Chinese cured pork belly (la rou)shop-bought or home-made
- 1 cured chicken leg, or Chinese cured duck legabout 250 g; or 2 more cured sausages
- 1 ½ tbsp fermented black beansrinsed, roughly chopped
- 3 fresh red chillieschopped
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- ½ oz fresh gingerfinely chopped
- 3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 4 tbsp chicken stockunsalted
- 1 spring onion (optional)sliced
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Soak 5 ½ oz smoked or salted dried fish, such as cured carp in warm water for 30 minutes to soften and draw out salt. Meanwhile scrub 9 oz Chinese cured pork belly (la rou), 1 cured chicken leg, or Chinese cured duck leg and 2 Chinese cured pork sausages under warm running water to clean off any dust and smoke residue.
30 minStep 2: Put all the cured meats and the drained fish on a plate and steam over a high heat for 15 minutes, until soft enough to slice.
15 minStep 3: Slice 9 oz Chinese cured pork belly (la rou) and 2 Chinese cured pork sausages thinly, cut 1 cured chicken leg, or Chinese cured duck leg into bite-sized pieces through the bone, and break 5 ½ oz smoked or salted dried fish, such as cured carp into chunks, removing any large bones.
8 minStep 4: Arrange the meats in a heatproof bowl in neat overlapping rows, fanning the pork slices around the edge and the chicken and fish in the middle.
5 minStep 5: Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a small pan over a medium heat and fry ½ oz fresh ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 1 ½ tbsp fermented black beans, 3 fresh red chillies and 1 tsp dried chilli flakes for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in 1 tsp sugar and 4 tbsp chicken stock.
2 minStep 6: Spoon the black bean mixture over the meats and steam over a high heat for 30 minutes, until the fat is translucent, the fish flakes easily and everything is steaming hot right through, 160°F at the centre. Common mistake: adding salt; the cured meats season the whole dish.
30 minStep 7: Scatter with 1 spring onion and serve straight from the bowl. Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and re-steam until piping hot.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does la wei he zheng (Hunan steamed cured meats) take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 5 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of fermented black beans?
- Kidney or pinto beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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