Juk Beng (Cantonese Steamed Meat Cake with Shiitake)

Ingredients

Shiitake
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in cool water 4 hours or overnight
- ¼ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp soy sauce
- Sprinkle of white pepper powder

Meat Mixture
- Pork shoulder (boston butt), hand minced or ground from shoulder — lean portion
- Pork fat (cut from pork belly or shoulder), finely diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 tbsp shiitake soaking liquid (added gradually)
- 1 tbsp shiitake soaking liquid mixed with ½ tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp chicken bouillon powder
- ¼ tsp white pepper powder
- ⅛ tsp MSG
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp peanut oil

Instructions

Prep Mushrooms

1. Soak 3 dried shiitake mushrooms in cool water for at least 4 hours (overnight is fine).
2. Remove, squeeze dry, and snip off stems. Reserve all soaking liquid.
3. Dice 2 mushrooms finely — these go into the meat mixture.
4. Slice the third mushroom into 8 slices — these go on top to garnish.
5. Marinate the sliced mushroom with ¼ tsp sugar, ½ tsp soy sauce, and a sprinkle of white pepper. Keep diced and sliced mushrooms separate.

Build the Meat Mixture

1. Hand mince pork shoulder until fine, OR use ground pork from shoulder. Chop for 3-4 minutes, periodically folding meat over itself — this develops a sticky, uniform paste.
2. Transfer to a bowl. Add 1 tsp salt, mix for 30 seconds.
3. Add 1 tbsp shiitake soaking liquid, mix for 30 seconds. Repeat this 4 more times — 5 tbsp liquid total, added one at a time.
4. Mix the final 1 tbsp soaking liquid with ½ tbsp cornstarch, then mix this into the pork the same way.
5. Add sugar, bouillon powder, white pepper, MSG, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Mix very well.
6. "Dat" the mixture: lift it slightly and slap it firmly against the bowl 10-15 times to remove air bubbles and improve binding.
7. Add the diced shiitake and diced pork fat. Mix well, then dat a few more times.
8. Coat the surface with 1 tbsp peanut oil.

Steam and Serve

1. Transfer meat mixture to a plate. Spread evenly, leaving a slight dimple in the centre (it steams more evenly).
2. Lay the marinated shiitake slices over the top.
3. Place on a steaming rack, cover, and steam for 10 minutes.
4. Optionally sprinkle with a touch more white pepper and chopped cilantro to garnish.
5. Serve over rice, drizzling the steaming juices over the rice.

My Notes

The 'dat' technique is the key to good juk beng — don't skip it.
Meat mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated for 1 day, or frozen in portions.
This is part of Chinese Cooking Demystified's Cantonese "Over Rice" series.