Steamed minced pork with dried scallops is a Cantonese home-cooking staple: ground pork mixed with a handful of pantry seasonings, spread on a plate, and steamed until just cooked through. The dried scallops do most of the flavor work, adding a concentrated savory-sweet depth that soy sauce alone can’t replicate. It takes about ten minutes of hands-on time and comes out consistently good, which is exactly why it stays in regular rotation.
The short version of why this works
Two things make this dish reliable. First, the cornstarch binds moisture into the pork mixture rather than letting it weep out during steaming — that’s what keeps the patty tender instead of grainy and tight. Second, using the scallop soaking water in the mix means the flavor is distributed all the way through the meat, not just sitting on the surface. Neither step is complicated, but skipping either one produces a noticeably drier, flatter result. Everything else in the recipe is seasoning and timing.
Mistakes to avoid
- Spreading the patty too thick. If your layer is much thicker than half an inch, the outside edges will overcook before the center reaches a safe 160°F (71°C). Use a wider plate rather than a deeper one to keep the thickness even.
- Not checking your water level before you start. A steamer that runs dry partway through will scorch your pot and stall cooking. Fill the base with at least an inch of water before you put the plate in.
- Mixing the pork too aggressively. Overworking ground pork makes it dense and rubbery. Stir just until everything is combined — thirty seconds is usually enough.
- Lifting the lid too early. Every time you open the steamer you drop the temperature and add minutes to your cook time. Wait until the 15-minute mark before checking.
- Skipping the internal temperature check. Ground pork must reach 160°F (71°C) all the way through — no pink in the center. A cheap instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out entirely, especially the first time you make this.
Make-ahead notes
You can mix the raw pork and scallop mixture up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge — the flavors actually settle in nicely overnight. Once cooked, the patty keeps well for up to 3 days refrigerated in a sealed container with its sauce spooned over it to prevent drying out. To reheat, place it back on a heatproof plate and steam for 5 to 6 minutes until hot through, or microwave on medium power in 90-second bursts. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish. For freezing, portion the cooked patty, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 6 weeks; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Steamed Minced Pork With Dried Scallops (Cantonese)
Equipment
Ingredients
½ pound ground pork - minced pork, about 20% fat, 225g
1 teaspoon ginger - freshly minced
1 tablespoon green onions - finely minced (scallions)- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce - 生抽
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch - 8g- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 4 medium dried scallops - about ½ oz / 15g total
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine - 料酒
- ½ cup hot water - 120ml, for soaking dried scallops
Instructions
- Place the dried scallops in ½ cup (120ml) of hot water and soak for 30 minutes until softened. Using a fork or your fingers, shred the scallops into fine threads. Reserve all of the soaking liquid — this is a key flavour ingredient.4 medium dried scallops, 1/2 cup hot water
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground pork, shredded scallops, reserved soaking liquid, light soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing rice wine, cornstarch, minced ginger, minced green onions, and white pepper. Mix in one direction (clockwise or anticlockwise) for about 2 minutes until the mixture is cohesive and slightly sticky. Spread the mixture evenly onto a lightly oiled 9-inch heatproof plate or glass pie plate, pressing it into a patty about ½-inch (1.3cm) thick.1/2 pound ground pork, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 tablespoon green onions, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper, 4 medium dried scallops, 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine, 1/2 cup hot water
- Fill the base of your steamer with water to about 1 inch (2.5cm) below the steaming rack and bring to a rolling boil. Place the heatproof plate on the rack, cover tightly, and reduce heat to maintain a steady, vigorous steam. Steam for 15 minutes. Check that the internal temperature reaches 160°F / 71°C — if not fully cooked through, steam for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Carefully remove the heatproof plate from the steamer using tongs or oven mitts. Transfer the pork patty to a serving plate and spoon the collected juices and sauce from the steaming plate over the top.
- Serve hot with steamed rice and vegetables.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
Where do I find dried scallops and what should I look for?
Dried scallops are sold at most Asian grocery stores, usually in small bags near other dried seafood. Look for ones that are a consistent amber-gold color with no visible mold or off smell — size doesn’t matter much for this recipe since you’re shredding them anyway.
Can I use regular ground pork from the supermarket?
Yes, standard supermarket ground pork works fine here. A fat content around 20% gives the best texture — very lean pork can turn dry after steaming, so avoid anything labeled extra-lean.
How do I know when the pork is fully cooked?
The safest check is an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the patty, which should read 160°F (71°C). Visually, the meat should be opaque all the way through with no pink remaining and the juices should run clear.
I don’t have a steamer setup — what can I use instead?
A large pot with a lid works well: place a heatproof bowl or a small wire rack in the bottom, add about an inch of water, set your plate on top of the rack, and cover tightly. Just make sure the plate sits above the waterline so the pork steams rather than simmers.
More mince recipes to try
- Savory Pork Noodle Stir-Fry
- Authentic Szechuan Dan Dan
- Japanese Pork Lettuce Cups
- Crispy Pork Dumpling Delight
