Minced Beef Congee 碎牛粥
Adding the deep-fried rice vermicelli is optional but it’s authentic Dai Pai Dong or Hong Kong Street Food Stall.Dongguan rice vermicelli works best for deep frying. It puffs up the most. Great add-ons….. cilantro, Chinese donuts, deep-fried peanuts, preserved vegetables and fermented bean curd (腐乳fù rǔ).You can add more rice if you would like your congee thicker.Use short grain rice if you like starchier congee.Add some shredded lettuce to add a refreshing crunch.
Approximate cost (CAD) $5
Ingredients
- 150 g Ground beef or minced beef
- 20 g Dongguan Dry Rice Vermicelli (approx. ½ of a square bunch), broken into pieces
- 2 Century eggs
- ½ c Uncooked rice (125ml)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Oil
- 1.5 L Water
- 1 stalk Green onions for garnish, chopped
- 250 ml Oil for deep-frying rice vermicelli
Ingredients of beef marinade:
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Light soy sauce
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
- ¼ tsp White pepper powder
- 1 tbsp Potato starch (you may also use cornstarch but potato starch will give you a softer texture)
- 6 tbsp Water
- 2 tsp Sesame oil or any oil
Instructions
- Wash rice, rinse off excess starch
- Marinate rice in a bowl with 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp oil and enough water to cover the rice plus another 1 cm for 30 minutes
- Heat a cup of oil in a pot or wok to approx. 190˚C or 375˚F and deep-fry rice vermicelli. It will take approx. 10-15 seconds for the rice vermicelli to puff. Fry in small batch since the rice vermicelli will expand. Remove from oil and let cool
the amount of oil will depend on the size of the pot you use for deep frying. Since we’re only frying a little bit, you may use a small pot 
- Peel and cut century eggs into small wedges
- Boil 1.5L of water in a pot
- When water boils, pour in the rice and the soaking water. Stir and mix to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom. Once it comes to a rolling boil, the rice will be moving around and will not likely stick to the bottom of the pot
- Add a few pieces of the century egg, but NOT the yolk, into the pot.
If you want to add more flavour to the congee, you may add ½ tsp chicken broth powder at this time. The alkalinity from the century egg will help the rice break down, giving the congee a smooth texture. We do not add the yolk because sometimes the yolk will have a bit of bitterness and we don’t want that taste throughout the congee. It also doesn’t look good 
- Turn the heat to medium or low so that the rice is still moving around in the water but not in a rolling boil. Use chopsticks to leave a gap between the pot and the lid. Cook for 30-40 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes
It’s difficult to specify the length of time it’ll take due to differences in rice and heat 
- Marinate the beef with ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp light soy sauce, ½ tsp sugar, 2 tsp Shaoxing wine, ¼ tsp white pepper powder, 1 tbsp potato starch and 6 tbsp water. Mix with your hands for best results. You want to squeeze the beef a bit to help it absorb the water. Once everything is well mixed and no residual water is left, add sesame oil or oil to help the meat retain the marinade. Set aside
- Check the congee in 30 minutes and see if it’s at the right consistency. If you’d like it more broken, cook for another 10-15 minutes
- Once the congee is at your desired consistency, combine the beef with the deep-fried rice vermicelli. Mix well
- You may either make little meat balls, spoon it into the congee in irregular forms or pour it all in the congee and then break it up into smaller clumps
- Whichever way you chose in step 12, put the beef into the congee. Give it a stir. Remove the chopsticks that are propping up the lid and cover the pot with the lid. Turn off heat
- Let the residual heat in the pot cook the beef for 5-8 minutes
- Check to see if the beef is cooked. If you’re using store-bought ground beef, you need to make sure that the beef is fully cooked through
- Taste test and make adjustments if necessary.
I generally under season my congee because I like to add fermented bean curd, preserved vegetables and fried peanuts) - Sprinkle green onions to garnish and serve
Nutrition
Calories: 1126kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 16gFat: 103gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 26gMonounsaturated Fat: 62gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 311mgSodium: 1697mgPotassium: 289mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 40IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!