Pi Dan (Century/Thousand Year Egg) and Pork Belly Congee

Traditionally, pork and century egg congee (Chinese rice porridge, also called “zhou/粥”) is made with pork chop and not pork belly, but it is 100000% better with pork belly (as many things often are). This porridge is normally served at breakfast or dim sum, and I will almost always order it if I see it—I can’t easily describe the flavor, only that you can taste both the ingredients individually and enjoy the way they compliment each other. I had been craving this particular congee (I do like others, including fish, egg and beef, frog, and liver) and so decided to buy some century eggs when I went to the grocery store this past week.

How thick you like the porridge portion is based on the water and rice ratio. I prefer it thicker since I feel it’s more satisfying, but you can easily change it by adding more water.

A lot of people are freaked out by the way century eggs look, but they don’t taste nearly as strange as they look. If I have to liken them to something, brie cheese comes to mind for both flavor and yolk texture, but milder.

I use leftover sushi rice for this, but you can use raw sushi rice too.

Ingredients

• 1 century egg/Pi Dan, chopped
• 1 slice of pork belly, about quarter inch thick, matchsticked
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon shao xing wine (or sake)
• 1/2 teaspoon corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 2 cups water
• Scallions, sliced for garnish
• Ginger, julienned for garnish
• White pepper powder, to taste
• Salt, to taste

1. Combine the pork belly, soy sauce, wine, corn starch and sesame oil in a bowl. Allow to marinate while you prepare the congee.
2. Bring water and rice to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, stirring often so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn. Once it is thick (about 20-30 minutes, less if you use a stick blender), add the pork belly and cook for another 5 minutes, until it is cooked thoroughly.
3. Stir in the century egg and garnish with scallion, ginger, and white pepper and salt to taste. Serve hot.