Pork Zongzi
Eating Zongzi and racing dragon boats on the Dragon Boat Festival originated from commemorating Qu Yuan, a poet of the Chu State in the Warring States Period. Qu Yuan was ostracized for his loyalty to King Huai of Chu, was later exiled, and ultimately committed suicide by throwing himself into the Miluo River. Upon hearing the news, the people rowed boats to rescue the victims, but to no avail. They then rowed river after river to express their grief, which later evolved into a dragon boat competition. People also threw rice balls into the river to prevent fish from eating Qu Yuan's body, forming the custom of eating Zongzi. Zongzi is a delicacy that has existed for 22 centuries and has developed many varieties. Though most recipes are complex and time-consuming, this one offers an easy version perfect for beginners. Makes 12-15 zongzi. Chinese name: 鲜肉粽子 (xian rou zong zi).
Ingredients
| 340 g | Pork shoulder meat |
| 16.6 g | Soy sauce (for marinating pork) |
| 16.6 g | Dark soy sauce (for marinating pork) |
| 12 g | Oyster sauce |
| 2.9 g | Salt |
| 2 g | Five-spice powder |
| 680 g | Glutinous rice |
| 1.2 liters (5 cups) | Hot water (about 60°C / 140°F) |
| 41 g | Cooking oil |
| 72 g | Diced shallot |
| 18 g | Diced garlic |
| 25 g | Soy sauce (for seasoning rice) |
| 8.3 g | Dark soy sauce (for seasoning rice) |
| 24-30 | Bamboo leaves |
Instructions
- Cut the pork shoulder meat into bite-size pieces and place it into a mixing bowl. Add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, and five-spice powder and mix thoroughly. Let the mixture sit in the fridge for 1 hour. (Souped Up Swap: If you don't eat pork, feel free to change it to chicken thigh or beef.)
- Soak the glutinous rice in hot water for 40 minutes. Glutinous rice needs to be thoroughly soaked to cook properly. If not, the outer layer of the rice will gum up when heated and block the moisture from reaching the center. The soaking usually takes at least 5 hours. I found that hot water can speed up the process.
- Fill a large pot with water and add the bamboo leaves. It is okay to bend the leaves, and you can use something heavy to press them under the water. Bring it to a boil, turn off the heat, and let the bamboo leaves continue to soak in the water while you are working on other things.
- Add the oil, diced shallots, and diced garlic to a wok. Saute over medium-low heat until the aromatics are lightly golden.
- Drain the glutinous rice thoroughly and add it to the wok. Stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. This is not to cook the rice, but rather to make the grain slightly sticky, which will be so much easier to fold later.
- Season the rice with soy sauce and dark soy sauce, and then remove it from the wok and set it aside.
- Take the bamboo leaves out of the water and blot off the moisture with paper towels. As you are doing this, you should be able to distinguish the rough and smooth sides. The rough side has an obvious stem; it should not be in contact with the rice when wrapping.
- Partially stack two bamboo leaves with the pointy tips facing each other and the smooth side facing up. Then fold the stacked leaves from one-third of the length into an ice cream cone shape. Be sure to overlap the corner so the rice will not fall out.
- Put some glutinous rice in the bamboo cone. Add 2 pieces of marinated pork, and then fill up the rest of the space with more glutinous rice.
- Use your thumb and forefinger to hold the shape, and then fold the upper leaves down. Continue to fold the leaves along the surface. Once done, you should get a pyramid-shaped zongzi. Tie it with a few circles of kitchen twine. Continue to wrap the rest of the zongzi.
- Fill a large pot with water and add your zongzi. Make sure the water can fully immerse all of the zongzi. Bring the water to a boil and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 2.5 hours.
- Remove the zongzi from the water. Unwrap the leaves and serve. (Meal Prepping Tip: Freeze the extra zongzi for up to 6 months. Whenever you want to eat them, no need to defrost. Simply steam them over medium heat for 18 minutes or reheat them in a microwave until hot, about 3-4 minutes on full power.)