Steamed Pork with Rice Flour from Suzhuang

Steamed Pork with Rice Flour from Suzhuang

　　Steamed Pork with Rice Flour from Suzhuang

　　Steamed Pork with Rice Flour from Suzhuang: Made by steaming fresh pork, glutinous rice flour, and tea oil together with wine, ginger, garlic, and chili, this dish is crispy, tender, and bursting with color, aroma, and flavor.

　　Visitors to Suzhuang Town are invariably drawn to this local specialty — Suzhuang Steamed Rice Flour Dishes — and leave with lasting impressions of this flavorful farmhouse cuisine.

　　The people of Suzhuang traditionally enjoy mixing rice flour with meat or vegetables and steaming them — a dish known as “steamed rice flour” or also called “steamed dish.” Carefully prepared by local women, these steamed rice flour dishes are aromatic, colorful, and delicious, making them a renowned local farmhouse specialty.

　　The typical method for making Suzhuang Steamed Rice Flour involves washing and chopping the vegetables or meat to be steamed, then placing them in a basin with rice flour, camellia oil, cured lard, rice wine, salt, chili, ginger, garlic, and scallions, and mixing well. Once the water boils, the mixture is spread in a bamboo steamer, covered tightly, and steamed over high heat. Though the method seems simple, mastering the flavor and heat is key. The resulting dishes are colorful and full of aroma and taste. The rice flour turns into a colorless, transparent layer, and different variations have their own unique hues. This cooking method preserves the original nutrients of the vegetables and meat, resulting in a rich, spicy, and exceptionally tasty dish that whets the appetite.

　　The people of Suzhuang love steamed rice flour dishes and use all kinds of ingredients — poultry, game meat, snails, shellfish, fish, shrimp, as well as various melons and vegetables — all steamed. These dishes are their go-to fare for drinking and everyday meals. In times of grain scarcity, some even ate steamed rice flour as a main meal. During the winter farming off-season, it was common for people to gather and share steamed dishes, whether by butchering a dog to steam its meat, making tofu to steam, or preparing other favorites. Many families always steam rice flour when drinking alcohol, eating congee, or slaughtering pigs or sheep. In the peak vegetable season, wealthy households would steam something every day, sometimes preparing several dishes in one day. For events such as building a house, getting married, having a baby, celebrating birthdays, or hosting wedding and funeral banquets, at least four or five varieties of steamed rice flour dishes were served. During holidays, every household would make them. It was partly to honor deities and partly to ensure a rich and abundant feast for the family. Especially during the New Year, steamed rice flour dishes are abundant, covering the whole table, and those made on New Year’s Eve are often eaten right through to the Lantern Festival. The more steamed rice flour dishes there are, the more bountiful the harvest, the better the New Year, and the more prosperous the life.

　　Taking “Dog Meat Steamed with Rice Flour” as an example, the Suzhuang method involves first washing and slicing the meat thin, then marinating it for about two hours in aged glutinous rice wine, soy sauce, a little camellia oil, and ginger. Next, the dog meat is placed in a large basin with dried red chili peppers, cured lard, garlic, and an appropriate amount of rice flour, all mixed well. When the water in the pot boils, the meat is placed in a steamer and steamed vigorously until done in one go. However, it’s not fully cooked at this stage and requires further preparation. A hot pan is heated, a large bowl of camellia oil is added and heated until cooked, then the steamed dog meat with rice flour is poured in and stir-fried for a short while before being removed and placed back in the basin. The basin is then returned to the pan and simmered over low heat until the meat becomes tender and falls off the bone. It is then scooped into a bowl, topped with minced garlic leaves, chili oil, and other garnishes, and served to guests.

　　For the people of Suzhuang, serving Steamed Rice Flour Dishes to guests is a customary gesture of hospitality. When guests arrive, making tofu, steaming tofu, steaming pork, or steaming eggs shows respect and warmth toward them. Even when inviting guests for a regular meal or asking for help with work, steamed rice flour dishes are prepared.