I like minced pork, it is easy to use and is a very versatile ingredient. I would advise grinding the meat yourself so you can be sure it was hygienically handled but if you trust your source then why not buy it ready-minced? As we know how much I value convenience it is hardly surprising that I get mine from my butcher. He uses the grinding machine normally reserved for churning out 'steak haché' or what we would call a hamburger. As long as I buy some steak haché (which I do anyway, for the dogs) after he grinds the pork he will put the meat through the machine. He uses the part dangling from the end of the ribs, it is soft and juicy without being too fatty.
Here we have a super-quick dish which goes well with steamed rice or plain rice porridge. Minimal handling of meat means actual preparation time is less than 5 minutes. Make sure you use a dish with sloped sides. As it cooks the pork will release its juices, that mingled with the steam that condenses will form a delicious broth. You can vary the seasoning but I usually use miso paste simply because I have a tub that never seem to get used up. The egg is optional but I like to use the whites to give the meat a velvety texture and the yolk is a cheerful finish anyway. Certainly it can be further bulked up with preserved vegetables or chopped fresh vegetables but here I offer the basic recipe. Quantity can also be adjusted, I have doubled and even tripled the amounts depending on the number of people dining.
Minced pork, ~1 cup,
Marinate:
salt & pepper
1.5 tsp soy sauce
few drops sesame oil
1.5 tsp miso paste
a splash of cooking wine (currently I use Stone's ginger wine)
1 raw egg, separate the yolk.
1. Marinate the pork for at least 20 minutes in a heatproof dish.
2. Stir egg white into meat. Make a well in the middle and plop the eggyolk in. If you feel brave you can break egg directly into meat and manouvre the white around carefully, trying not to break the yolk.
3. Steam at medium heat for 10 minutes.
I usually cook the minced pork the day I buy it, as it is so finely cut up the flavour deteriorates with storage. Sometimes I might portion out small golf-ball sized batches for freezing, making sure I use it up as quickly as possible. They come in handy for adding to instant ramen or for perking up a vegetable side dish.
