Congee with Spicy Pork and Six Minute Egg

This recipe has been about three-and-a-half years in the making; after returning from their trip to Hong Kong, my friends Heather and Rachel waxed poetic about congee, a savory rice porridge, that, in all of the delicious and exotic foods they consumed, was the best thing that they ate during the whole trip (in fact, when their flight was diverted back to Hong Kong after about four hours in the air, their mutual reaction was not “Oh no, how/when are we getting home?”, but “Yay! A chance to eat more congee!”). It’s no surprise why this simple rice porridge struck their hearts (and has gained popularity on many Asian-inspired menus): the congee is simple to prepare, has humble origins (and thus can be made on a budget), and is infinitely adaptable.  The congee by itself originated as a savory breakfast porridge, but now it is frequently served later in the day with various toppings and sides and has that same good-for-your-tastebuds-and-your-soul quality as a comforting bowl of chicken noodle soup.

Unfortunately, for three and a half years, congee remained but a pipe dream for me, a delicious dish that I only enjoyed via other people’s experiences. All of that changed a few weeks ago during a visit to Bing Bing Dim Sum on South Philadelphia’s Passyunk Avenue.  This non-traditional dim sum restaurant serves dishes that are as delicious as they are ingenious.

Amidst the roast pork and sharp provolone bao buns and the fried lamb spring rolls, the congee dish- bedecked with ground chicken sausage, roasted peanuts, and a soft-poached egg – completely stole the show. Despite my amazement (and slight frustration) that this was my first time experiencing the dish, the congee still felt familiarly satisfying; serving as a testament to the fact that comfort foods of all cuisines can universally connect with our palates and souls, regardless of our cultural heritage.

After leaving the restaurant in a slightly drunken stupor – their drinks are dangerously delicious and strong – I made it my mission to make up for lost time and learn prepare congee at home. Some quick googling revealed that the preparation of congee itself is fortunately very easy and mostly hands-off.

You basically just bring some rice and a combination of stock and water- with some flavorings, if you wish – to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice practically dissolves into a luxe, savory porridge, allowing you to dress up your final dish any way you’d like.

Taking a cue from Bing Bing Dim Sum’s philosophy of gathering inspiration from (rather than strictly adhering to) tradition, I wanted to make a similarly designed dish of spicy ground meat + rich, runny, egg + flavorful toppings + satisfying rice porridge.

The recipe I found from Food & Wine served as a good starting point for my endeavor; however, they cook the pork shoulder directly into the congee, flavoring the entire rice porridge with the spicy pork flavor. I wanted the pork and rice to be cooked separately so their flavors would not muddle together (and so I could serve the ground pork atop the rice porridge as a nod to the serving style at Bing Bing). This allowed each bite of the final dish to be slightly different, and the rice porridge was a rich, cooling counterpoint to the spicy cooked pork.

I swapped out the pork shoulder with ground pork, so it could be quickly cooked while the congee simmered, and added some soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and more diced ginger to round out the flavors.  While the dish has quite a few components, the pork and the eggs can be prepared (with time to spare!) during the 90-ish minutes it takes for the congee to cook.

The congee by itself is a bit of a blank canvas (read: in need of some loving in the flavor department), but that plays to the adaptability of the porridge; I prefer mine with an extra splash of soy sauce and sesame oil, but you can season the congee (and its toppings) in any way according to your tastes and dietary restrictions.

As pictured, I topped the congee with a 6-minute  poached egg, as well as some cilantro leaves and sliced scallions, which provide a fresh, bright contrast to the rich congee and spicy pork. However, I have been adding some ground roasted peanuts to the mix in more recent batches (as another nod to Bing Bing’s dish), and will never look back. In addition to providing a great crunchy texture, the peanuts enhance the nuttiness of the sesame oil, rounding out the flavors of an already complex dish. Please, learn from my mistakes and don’t wait three-and-a-half years to try this comforting, transformative dish.

(Loosely) adapted from Food & Wine.

Congee with Spicy Pork and Six Minute Egg

 

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Ingredients

• 1 cup raw long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or a combination of stock and water), plus another cup more if nedded
• 2 tablespoon plus a few dashes soy sauce, plus more for serving
• One-and-a-half-inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground pork
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white portions divided
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus more for garnish
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 large eggs
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. In large pot add stock, rice, a few dashes soy sauce and half of the ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Stir occasionally so that the rice doesn't clump or stick at the bottom. Cook for 90 minutes, or until the porridge is thick and creamy. If the porridge begins to look dry, add a bit more stock or water as needed.
2. While congee is coming to a boil, prepare the eggs and pork. To prepare the eggs, fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Gently lower the eggs into the pot and cook for 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and chill in an ice bath (or run under cold tap water) to “shock” the eggs. Reserve.
3. To cook the pork, heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the oil, and then stir in the pork, garlic, reserved ginger, and white portions of the scallions. Cook the pork for about 10 minutes or until browned. Stir in the fish sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, honey and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. To serve, ladle congee into six bowls then top with the cooked pork, green portion of the scallions, cilantro, and a peeled egg. Garnish with extra soy sauce and sesame oil as desired.

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