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A bowl of congee with pork meatballs with green onion garnish in a brown bowl.
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Congee with Pork Meatballs

This recipe transforms simple rice porridge into a deeply nourishing and satisfying meal.
Prep Time8 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Breakfast, Late Night, Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: breakfast, congee, rice porridge
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • ½ cup jasmine rice
  • 5 cups water plus extra
  • ½ lb ground pork
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • ¼ tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 ginger slice peeled and cut into thin strips
  • 2 stalks green onions sliced
  • Sea salt to taste

Instructions

  • Rinse the jasmine rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water for about one minute, until the water runs mostly clear.
  • In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Then, add the jasmine rice and simmer over medium-low heat with the lid partially open, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook for 25 minutes until the rice starts to break up. Use a whisk and break up the rice. Continue simmering for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until it reaches your desired consistency. If the congee gets too thick, add some hot water to thin it out.
  • While the congee is simmering away, combine the ground pork, soy sauce, white pepper, brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil in a bowl. Marinate until you are ready to add the pork meatballs to the congee.
  • To make the meatballs, take about a tablespoon of the mixture, cup it in your palm, and roll it between your hands until you form a ball.
  • Add the ginger slices and the pork meatballs to the bubbling congee. Cook until the meatballs are done, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Taste and season with sea salt to taste. Stir in the sliced green onions and serve.

Video

Notes

  1. Keep a close eye on the pot during the first 20 minutes of simmering the congee, as it can easily boil over due to the high starch content in the rice. Once the rice starts to break up, that’s when the risk of boiling over is lower.
  2. Keep stirring the congee towards the end of cooking to prevent sticking.
  3. To help speed up the congee cooking process, after rinsing the rice with water, store it in a freezer-safe bag or bowl and freeze it overnight.
  4. Substitute white pepper with black pepper in the recipe if needed.