Salted Fish Minced Pork Recipe (2024)

  • First Post:Nov 12, 2014
  • Update: Jul 26, 2021
  • Leslie Tay
Salted Fish Minced Pork Recipe (1)

This is a very popular home cook dish in Singapore because it is so easy to make and extremely tasty. Most Singaporeans will probably remember grandma or mum making it. But as with everything, the difference between a good dish and a great dish is the attention to details. Sure, anyone who has a few basic ingredients will be able to make a tasty dish to eat with rice, but what I am trying to do is to share with you a few tips which I picked up from a hotel chef so that you elevate an ordinary homecooked dish to a restaurant quality dish!

The two key ingredients are the salted fish and the minced meat. The best salted fish for this dish comes from Kuantan, a town in the East Coast of Malaysia. Many of us will be familar with the dry type of salted fish which is used for claypot rice. However, the salted fish that is used for this dish is called Mui Heong and it is a very high quality salted fish which is made from fish that is fresh off the boat. The salted fish is soft and easily turns into a paste with the slightest pressure. So when you place it on top of the minced meat, it is easy to pick up with a pair of chopsticks to mix with the meat. You can try looking for this at the wet market provision shops.

The other ingredient is minced pork. This needs to have a bit of a bite. So you need to either hand chop yourself or buy from wet market where you specifically tell them to coarse grind it for you. The minced pork will also need to be seasoned and treated in a way to produce a nice springy, bouncy texture. This technique, which is a common technique amongst Chinese chefs is what will bring the dish to the next level.

Salted Fish Minced Pork Recipe (2)

Ingredients:

Part A (treatment)
Salt 1 tsp
Sugar 1 Tbsp
Water 2 Tbsp
Tapioca starch 2 Tbsp
Minced pork 300g

Part B (marinade)
Sesame Oil 2 tsp
Chinese wine 1 Tbsp
Soy sauce 1 tsp (adjust to taste)
Chicken Powder 3 tsp (adjust to taste)

Part C (Toppings)
Mui Hiong (salted mackerel)
Ginger (chopped)
Tang Chye (optional)
Water chestnut (optional)

Procedure

Add salt, sugar and chicken powder to the minced pork. Once mixed, pick it up and throw it onto a steel bowl (or heavy chopping board) several times (10-20) until it becomes springy and clumps together. This action causes the protein to unravel and realign to produce springiness in the meat.

Next add 2 Tbsp of water to the meat and mix thoroughly. You will find that the meat will relax and spread easily. Now add 2 Tbsp tapioca starch and then start throwing again a few times till the mince returns to its springy state. Now marinade with sesame oil 2 tsp, Chinese wine 1 Tbsp, soy sauce 1 tsp, chicken powder 1 tsp. This forms the minced meat base from which you can do many other dishes like Siew Mai and other dim sum dishes.

For salted fish minced pork, I add chopped ginger and tang chye to the mix, then lay the piece of salted fish on top and steam for 8 mins. For a stronger salted fish flavour, you can also mix the salted fish into the minced pork first. The Mui Hiong turns easily into a paste when you press it with the side of the knife. For salted egg version, simply replace the salted fish with salted egg yolk and leave out the ginger.

Happy Cooking!

Other related Pork Recipes:
Hakka Zhar Yoke
Japanese Cha Shu

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11 Comments

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booboo

9 years ago

How much pork is used in this recipe?

Reply

Leslie Tay

Reply to booboo

9 years ago

Sorry, I just updated the post. 250-300g minced pork

Reply

gurble

4 years ago

This is just fabulous. My whole family gobbled it up. I hand chopped a combination of pork collar/ neck and pork belly to give it a proportion of about 30% fat but the fat clumps didn’t look nice when it was steamed so I ended up removing most of the pork belly part anyway.

I got Batang instead of the more prized ikan kurau salted fish at Victoria Wholesale. The guy selling it to me told me that its wasn’t ikan kurau but I didn’t really get what he was saying till I got home. Pity but the dish still turned out great.

Reply

Leslie Tay

Reply to gurble

4 years ago

Glad you liked the recipe!

Reply

gurble

4 years ago

Hi Leslie, there are mentions of chicken powder twice. Do we add chicken powder two times? By the way, I am planning to make 10 kilos of your marvelous char siu recipe this chinese new year for a mega reunion dinner!

Reply

Shamil

3 years ago

very good recipes

Reply

Lisa Seah

Admin

Reply to Shamil

3 years ago

Thank you!

Reply

Josie

9 months ago

Hi! Do you have a recipe for the fried version of this dish? The Hakka Pork Patty with Salty Fish? I am on a hunt for an authentic recipe. I’ve tried making it last week but it tasted nothing like I remember =(

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Leslie Tay

Author

Reply to Josie

9 months ago

I will need to work on it!

Reply

Josie

Reply to Leslie Tay

9 months ago

Hi Dr Leslie!

Thanks for replying. Just want to let you know we managed “to crack the code”.
Our 2nd experiment was successful, abt 95% close to what we had in mind.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CtBdCOsvNxN/

If you do try a recipe, please let me know! =)

Reply

Leslie Tay

Author

Reply to Josie

9 months ago

Thanks! That is interesting!

Reply

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Salted Fish Minced Pork Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to use Chinese salted fish? ›

Salted fish is meant to be eaten in small quantities, almost as a condiment, to flavour a mouthful of rice or steamed pork patty. If you are new to eating salted fish, use the smaller amount called for in this recipe. If you love salted fish, use more.

How long do you soak salt fish? ›

Method:
  1. Soak your saltfish overnight in cold water.
  2. In the morning, drain the water and soak for one hour in hot water. ...
  3. Fry garlic, thyme, onions, bell peppers and Scotch bonnet on the stove for five minutes. ...
  4. Add your saltfish to the pan of garlic, thyme, onions, bell peppers and Scotch bonnet peppers.
Jun 15, 2018

What makes salt fish? ›

In the Caribbean, salt fish, also called bacalao, bacalhau, baccalà or dried fish, is fresh, meaty white fish (typically cod) that has been preserved for longer storage by salt-curing and drying until all the moisture has been extracted.

What is mui heong salted fish? ›

Mui Heong Salted Fish origins from Guangdong province (广东省) in China. Mui Heong Salted Fish is first fermented, after which it is cured using salt. Hence, the meat is soft and has a special fragrance.

Do you need to soak salted fish before cooking? ›

Two Methods. There are two main methods to remove the excess salt from salt fish—one way takes an hour and the other requires an overnight soak. This process of removing the excess salt from the fish also rehydrates it.

What kind of fish is used for Chinese salted fish? ›

In southern China, about 20 different fish, such as red snapper, threadfin, Spanish mackerel, croaker, Japanese mackerel, are used to prepare salted fish (Armstrong & Eng, 1983; Poirier et al., 1987). Procedures for preparation of salted fish have been described in detail previously (IARC, 1993).

Do you soak salt fish in hot or cold water? ›

Ackee and Salt Fish is Jamaica's national dish. In order to prepare salt fish for cooking, it must be rehydrated and most of the salt removed through overnight soaking in hot water and subsequent boiling. The aim is never to remove all the salt—enough salt should remain to provide taste.

Can salt fish go bad? ›

Salting enhances fat oxidation, and fat hydrolysis and the development of rancidity may contribute to the spoilage of fish. Certain halophilic micro-organisms can multiply under the conditions of dry-salting and can also spoil the product.

Should you boil or soak saltfish? ›

Next time you want to cook salt fish, don't boil it or soak it in boiling water to remove the salt, rather, soak it in regular cold tap water for 12 – 24 hours and you will be rewarded with perfectly de-salted salt fish that is tender, and easy to flake, to prepare in a variety of ways.

What is salt fish called in America? ›

Dried and salted cod, sometimes referred to as salt cod or saltfish or salt dolly, is cod which has been preserved by drying after salting.

Why do Jamaicans eat saltfish? ›

The West Indian slave owners in the Caribbean heavily relied on imported salted cod and ackee as a cheap form of protein and nourishment for slaves working in the sugar plantation. Ackee and saltfish is traditionally served with bread fruit.

How long does it take to boil salt out of saltfish? ›

Soak salted codfish in water for 1 hour to release salt. In a medium saucepot, with enough water to cover the salted codfish, boil for 15 minutes. Strain, remove any bones, and let cool. Set aside.

How to marinate salted fish? ›

Dissolve the salt in a litre of water and add the fillets. Leave in the fridge for 3 hours. Create a pickling marinade of cider vinegar, allspice berries, peppercorns, bay leaves, light brown sugar and an onion. Drain the fillets from the brine and pat them dry with kitchen paper.

What is dry salted fish called? ›

Likewise, it is called “stockfish,” or stoccafisso, when air cured. Baccalà is the name for cod that has been cured, or preserved, with salt. The resulting fish is pleasantly flaky in texture with an irresistibly intense and unusual—but never fishy—flavor.

How do you eat salted fish? ›

There are many ways in which salt fish is prepared in the Caribbean, but the most popular way is fried. We say it's fried, but what we really mean is that it's sautéed with thyme, lots of onions, garlic, tomatoes, and hot peppers.

What to do with Chinese dried fish? ›

More slight varieties can be crumbled straight into soup or stir fry. Dried smelt can also be added to stir fries after being steamed, while anchovies can be deep fried and munched as a crispy snack.

How do you eat Chinese dried fish? ›

Old days, you can just steamed it and eat it with rice and vegetable. A piece of fish is enough for the whole family. Most common Canton style dried fish now-a-days is take out the meat cut to small piece and add it to fried rice. If you mean the Shanghai style dried fish, still wash it, add wine and steam it to eat.

How do you eat dried salted fish? ›

Yes, dried fish can be enjoyed as a snack on its own. It can be eaten as is, or it can be paired with other ingredients like nuts, fruits, or crackers to create a flavorful and satisfying snack.

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