Pork and century egg congee is one of the most classic Chinese comfort foods. It’s a simple rice porridge that’s made delicious with savory bits of century egg and lean (but tender) pork, and it’s the dish that comforted me the most whenever I got sick as a kid.
You may also like these other recipes:
If you enjoyed this pork and century egg congee recipe…
I’d be so grateful if you left me a review below!
Be sure to subscribe to the smellylunchbox email list to receive more delicious recipes and cooking tips straight to your inbox. You can also follow me on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube @smelly.lunchbox to stay up-to-date on my latest posts and recipes. I can’t wait to share more with you!
If you want to support me or my work here on smelly lunchbox, you can purchase some merch designed by me onsmellylunchbox.shop!
Pork and Century Egg Congee
One of the most classic comfort dishes in our Chinese culture, this pork and century congee is what I grew up eating regularly. The savory bits of century egg are my favorite, and it's the perfect introductory dish for anyone who hasn't tried them before!
Prep Time 10 minutesmins
Cook Time 35 minutesmins
Total Time 45 minutesmins
Course Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
- 4ozpork butt or shoulder
- 2cupscooked rice
- 5 1/2cupswatermore to preference
- 1knob of gingersliced into very thin strips
- 2tspchicken bouillon
- salt to taste
- white pepper to taste
Marinade:
- 1tbspwater
- 1/2tbspShaoxing wine
- 1/4tspsalt
- 1/8tspsugar
- dashes of white pepper
- 1tspcornstarch
- 1/2tbspneutral oil
Toppings:
- Century egg
- Chinese fried donutoptional but recommended
- Scallions
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Chili oil
Prepare the congee
To a large pot, add the cooked rice, water, sliced ginger, and chicken bouillon powder. Mix and bring to a boil.
2 cups cooked rice, 5 1/2 cups water, 1 knob of ginger, 2 tsp chicken bouillon
Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid. Check periodically as it can bubble over — just reduce the heat as necessary.
Let simmer for 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
Marinade the pork
Slice the pork into thin strips, making sure to slice against the grain for the most tender bite. (The grain is the direction the muscle fibers are running – make sure to slice perpendicular to them)
4 oz pork butt or shoulder
Add it to a bowl with all of the marinade ingredients, except for the neutral oil. Mix it until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the neutral oil, and mix again. Set aside to let marinade.
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp sugar, dashes of white pepper, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1/2 tbsp neutral oil, 1 tbsp water
Prepare the other ingredients and finish making the congee
Peel the century egg, then dice into small chunks.
Century egg
After the congee has simmered for at least 30 minutes, remove the lid, and give it a stir.
Use a whisk to break up the grains of rice (this is a tip I learned from Made with Lau) — this will break down the starch faster and give it a better texture. Be careful to not scratch the bottom of the pot with it!
Add the diced century egg and marinated pork. Make sure to separate both the diced egg and the pork strips before adding them in so they don’t clump together.
Stir and then bring the congee to a gentle boil for another 4-5 minutes. If you prefer a runnier texture, add more water.
Add salt and white pepper to taste. Assemble your bowl with the rest of your preferred toppings and enjoy!
salt to taste, white pepper to taste, Chinese fried donut, Scallions, Ginger, Soy sauce, Chili oil
Keyword chinese congee, jook, pork and century congee, pork and century jook, rice porridge