Salted Pork Congee

Congee is an Asian comfort food generally consumed for breakfast or brunch. It is also popular as a late night meal served with tasty sides like deep-fried salt and pepper fishies, squid or tofu.

It’s also often made for someone under the weather. For me, it’s my comfort food. My kids think of it as their “get well” food, not comforting at all. However, they do enjoy it with all the deep fried accompaniments.

Salted pork congee is often served with century old egg. We are not fans but you can totally add some at the end of cooking. Just chop it up, toss them in and heat through for a couple of minutes.

This recipe makes a fairly thick congee, the way we like it. It can always be diluted to make a thinner congee by adding some boiling water.

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1½ – 2 pounds pork neck bones
2 tablespoons kosher salt
10 cups water (12 cups if using Stovetop)
1¾ cup rice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sesame, vegetable or canola oil

For Serving

2 stalks green onion chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
½ teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch of ground white pepper
Roasted salted peanuts
Chinese donuts sliced
Salted crackers

Instructions

1. Place the bones in a medium bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt. Marinate 24-48 hours, covered in the refrigerator.
2. Rinse the rice in a sieve and then place it in a small mixing bowl. Stir in the salt and oil and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Give the bones a rinse then add them to the boiling water and boil them for 10 minutes. This method, called parboiling, releases impurities yielding a clearer broth. Drain and rinse the bones under cold water.

Electric Pressure Cooker

1. Place the bones and rice in the inner cooking pot of an electric pressure cooker and add water but do not fill above the 10 cup mark.
2. Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam knob is on Sealing/Locked. Pressure cook on high for 45 minutes.
3. Once the cooking is done, let it natural pressure release for about 15 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure by quick release.
4. Take the bones out, remove the meat from the bones and shred.
5. Give the congee a good stir and stir in the shredded pork.
6. Serve in individual bowls garnished with green onion, cilantro, sesame oil and white pepper. Place peanuts, Chinese donuts and salted crackers to serve alongside, if desired.

Stovetop

1. In a large stock pot, add parboiled pork bones, rice and 12 cups water. Bring to a boil and turn heat down to low and let simmer for 1½ to 2 hours. stirring occasionally. It should be barely simmering. Cook until desired consistency.
2. Take the bones out, remove the meat from the bones and shred.
3. Give the congee a good stir and add the shredded pork.
4. Serve in individual bowls garnished with green onion, cilantro, sesame oil and white pepper. Place peanuts, Chinese donuts and salted crackers to serve alongside, if desired.

Print Recipe

Salted Pork Congee

Salted pork congee is often served with century old egg. We are not fans but you can totally add some at the end of cooking. Just chop it up, toss them in and heat through for a couple of minutes.

This recipe makes a fairly thick congee, the way we like it. It can always be diluted to make a thinner congee by adding some boiling water.

Prep Time2 days d

Cook Time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: congee, pork

Servings: 6 servings

Cost: $10

Ingredients

• 1½ – 2 pounds pork neck bones
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 10 cups water (12 cups if using Stovetop)
• 1¾ cup rice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sesame, vegetable or canola oil

For Serving

• 2 stalks green onion chopped
• 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• Pinch of ground white pepper
• Roasted salted peanuts
• Chinese donuts sliced
• Salted crackers

Instructions

• Place the bones in a medium bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt. Marinate 24-48 hours, covered in the refrigerator.
• Rinse the rice in a sieve and then place it in a small mixing bowl. Stir in the salt and oil and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil. Give the bones a rinse then add them to the boiling water and boil them for 10 minutes. This method, called parboiling, releases impurities yielding a clearer broth. Drain and rinse the bones under cold water.

Electric Pressure Cooker

• Place the bones and rice in the inner cooking pot of an electric pressure cooker and add water but do not fill above the 10 cup mark.
• Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam knob is on Sealing/Locked. Pressure cook on high for 45 minutes.
• Once the cooking is done, let it natural pressure release for about 15 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure by quick release.
• Take the bones out, remove the meat from the bones and shred.
• Give the congee a good stir and stir in the shredded pork.
• Serve in individual bowls garnished with green onion, cilantro, sesame oil and white pepper. Place peanuts, Chinese donuts and salted crackers to serve along side, if desired.

Stovetop

• In a large stock pot, add parboiled pork bones, rice and 12 cups water. Bring to a boil and turn heat down to low and let simmer for 1½ to 2 hours. stirring occasionally. It should be barely simmering. Cook until desired consistency.
• Take the bones out, remove the meat from the bones and shred.
• Give the congee a good stir and add the shredded pork.
• Serve in individual bowls garnished with green onion, cilantro, sesame oil and white pepper. Place peanuts, Chinese donuts and salted crackers to serve along side, if desired.