Steam Water Meat, Hubei steamed meat custard 湖北名菜 汽水肉
"Steam water" meat 汽水肉 is a delicate, savory steamed meat and egg custard, like a mash-up of meatloaf and chawanmushi. It's a famous dish from Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Equipment
- Steamer insert, or wire rack, aluminum foil, kitchen towel
- Large pot with lid for steaming, such as wok, stock pot, Dutch oven
- Heat-safe bowl that fits in your steamer
Ingredients
- 1 scallion chopped, or chopped cilantro (for serving) 1根花或香菜，切碎
Steamed Meat Layer 底层（蒸肉）
- 8 oz ground pork 碎猪肉，200克
- 4 oz water 清水，100克
- 2 tsp light soy sauce 生抽酱油，10克
- 1 tsp minced ginger 姜末，2片切莫（约1茶勺）
- ¾ tsp corn starch 淀粉，5克
- 1 tsp neutral oil like canola 菜油，5克
- 1 tsp Shaoxing cooking wine, or mirin optional 绍兴料酒，5克
- 1 pinch (white) pepper 白胡椒，适量
- ¼ tsp salt 食用盐，2克
- ¼ tsp sugar 白糖，1克
- ¼ tsp sesame oil plus more for serving 麻油，少许
Egg Custard Layer 蒸鸡蛋液
- ½ tsp corn starch 淀粉，3克（搅成湿淀粉）
- water 1 Tbsp for corn starch slurry, plus volume equal to eggs 清水，和鸡蛋同量
- 1 pinch salt about 1/8 tsp 食用盐，少许
- 1 pinch (white) pepper 白胡椒，少许
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except water for the steamed meat layer into the heat-safe bowl. Add the water in thirds, stirring vigorously in one direction between each addition, until it forms a paste with the consistency of runny polenta.将底层（蒸肉）所有的食材加入耐热的碗中，朝一个方向搅拌均匀。此时的肉末应该形成和米粥相似的肉浆
- On high heat, bring a small amount of water to a rolling boil in your steamer pot, and add the steamer insert. Place the bowl of meat mixture into the steamer and steam on high heat for 6 minutes.锅里加入适量清水，大火烧至沸腾。加入蒸格，将肉浆大火蒸6分钟
- (While the meat is steaming) In a small bowl, make a corn starch slurry of ½ tsp cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water. Gently beat 2 eggs, water equal in volume to eggs), corn starch slurry, salt, and white pepper. Mix gently to avoid bubbles in the egg mixture -- the bubbles turn into holes when the custard is steamed.换个小碗，打两个鸡蛋和鸡蛋等量的清水。加入湿淀粉，少许盐和白胡椒，搅拌均匀。打鸡蛋时要轻一点，避免形成气泡。
- Turn the heat down to low so the water is just above a simmer. Pour the egg custard mixture into the bowl, on top of the steamed meat mixture, and steam for an additional 6 minutes until the eggs are just set and the meat is cooked through.转小火，把搅拌好的鸡蛋液倒入蒸肉，再蒸6分钟。
- Remove the bowl from the steamer and garnish with a drizzle of sesame oil and chopped scallions/cilantro to serve.蒸好后，把碗提出，撒上少许麻油和葱花或香菜即可上桌。
Notes
The heat-safe bowl needs to fit all of the ingredients for both layers while still fitting inside your steamer. Make sure there's at least 1/2 an inch of clearance between the top of the bowl and the lid because the steam needs space to circulate and condense into the bowl.