This recipe for Century Egg & Pork Congee is a humble, simple Chinese dish featuring silky rice porridge simmered with tender pork and preserved duck egg.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Why you'll love this recipe
Simple & easy: this pork congee is made with pantry staples and requires minimal effort with the use of a pressure cooker (Instant Pot).
Rich & savory: the century egg adds depth of flavor and umami to the congee.
Comforting & nourishing: it's light on the stomach, easily digested, yet incredibly satisfying.
What is congee?
Congee, also known as jook (粥) in Cantonese, is a traditional rice porridge enjoyed across Asia.
It consists of simmering rice in water or broth until soft and creamy.
Congee is traditionally eaten for breakfast, or when feeling under the weather as a comfort food. You can also find congee at dim sum restaurants.
The consistency of congee can vary in thickness, from watery to a thicker porridge.
It's a simple yet delicious dish that can be easily customized with various toppings (including Chinese fried long donut (yu tiao), bamboo shoots, preserved veggies), and proteins such as chicken or turkey.
What is century egg?
Century egg is also known by many different names such including 100 year old egg, 1000 year old egg, millennium egg, and black egg.
It is typically a duck egg that has been preserved in ash, clay, salt, quicklime and rice hulls for an extended period of time.
The egg yolk turns into a dark green/grey color and becomes very creamy during the curing process.
In turn, the egg whites transform into a translucent dark brown/black color with a texture similar to coffee jelly.
Well-preserved eggs will have beautiful snowflake or pine-branch patterns on the surface of the egg, which are formed by salt crystals.
How to eat century egg?
Crack and peel the century egg, give it a rinse under cool water, and enjoy.
The eggs can be very salty, so it's best to pair with a dish such as rice/congee or silken tofu.
Pair the preserved egg with pickled ginger, chilled tofu, vegetables, or with an egg omelette.
Ingredients you'll need
Pork:
- lean pork: thinly sliced; or you can use ground pork
- light soy sauce: regular soy sauce
- toasted sesame oil
Rice:
- jasmine white rice: long-grain, rinsed
- fresh ginger: thinly julienned
- chicken broth or water: use chicken broth or pork broth for more flavor
- sea salt
- white pepper: or black pepper
- preserved century egg: peeled and rinsed
Where to find?
You can find these ingredients at Asian supermarkets.
Find preserved century egg sold in boxes, in the refrigerated section.
How to make century egg & pork congee at home
Prepare the pork:
Marinate the pork by mixing it with soy sauce and sesame oil, then set aside.
Cook the rice:
Rinse the rice under cold water until clear.
In an Instant Pot, combine the rinsed rice, ginger, and 8-10 cups of chicken broth or water, seasoning with salt and white pepper.
Secure the lid, set the valve to "Seal," and cook on the PORRIDGE setting for 15 minutes at HIGH PRESSURE.
Allow natural pressure release.
Switch to SAUTÉ mode, stir in the marinated pork, and cook for 5-6 minutes until tender.
Add the century egg and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Turn off the Instant Pot, remove and slice up the century egg, and serve the congee with garnishes, as desired.
How to serve
Serve the congee hot with a side of youtiao (Chinese fried donut), drizzle of toasted sesame oil (or chili oil) and a dash of white pepper.
Pair with warm soy milk for a traditional breakfast experience.
How to store & reheat
Store leftover congee in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To reheat, add a splash of water, cover and microwave for 1-2 minutes, until heated through.
Or gently simmer in a pot (with a splash of water) until the congee is steaming hot. Be sure to give the mixture a stir to prevent sticking.
Optional additions
The toppings and garnishes are customizable to your liking. To balance the texture and flavor, try adding:
- pork floss
- fried shallot/fried garlic/fried onion
- preserved bamboo shoot
- fried dace
- crushed peanuts
- preserved mustard greens
- chili oil
Expert tips & notes
If you prefer a thicker congee, use less liquid/broth. You can cook the congee for longer to evaporate excess liquid.
Prefer a thinner congee? Add more water. (As you may have noticed in the photos, I prefer a thicker congee whereas my husband likes a more thinner consistency).
You can slice or chop the century egg and add it into the congee or leave it whole, then remove from the congee and slice up.
For extra flavor in the congee, add in dried scallops or Chinese mushrooms.
Swap out the tender pork and make a flavorful turkey congee using leftover turkey, or classic chicken congee.
Other delicious rice recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes!
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- I love seeing your creations! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer and be sure to leave me a comment/rating below!
Century Egg & Pork Congee (Instant Pot)
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
Pork:
- 100 g lean pork thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Rice:
- 1 C white jasmine rice (long-grain) rinsed
- 1" knob fresh ginger thinly julienned
- 8-10 C chicken broth or water adjust to your preference: add more water for thinner congee; add less for thicker
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper or to taste
- 2 preserved century egg peeled and rinsed
Garnishes: (optional)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 sticks fried Chinese long donut (yu tiao) sliced
- 2 stalks green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped
- chili oil
- fried onion/shallot
- pork floss
Instructions
Marinate the pork:
- Combine the lean pork slices with soy sauce and sesame oil and give it a stir. Set aside.
Prepare the rice:
- Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
Cook the congee:
- To an Instant Pot (pressure cooker), combine the rinsed rice, ginger, 8-10 C of chicken broth or water (adjust to your consistency preference), salt and white pepper.
- Add the lid, set the valve to Seal. Press the PORRIDGE function and set to 15 minutes on HIGH PRESSURE.
- Let the pressure naturally release.
- Hit CANCEL and press the SAUTE function.
- Add the marinated pork to the congee and stir, until the pork is cooked, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add in the preserved century egg and simmer for another 1-2 minutes.
- Turn off the Instant Pot. Remove century egg and cut into slices.
- Ladle congee into serving bowls. Top with century egg, garnishes and serve immediately.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Mar
This is a very popular dish in the restaurant. Thank you for the recipe and we have made it at home and it tasted delicious! We have saved some money!
Michelle
Happy to hear it, Mar! 🙂
Linsey
I love eating this century egg and pork congee. Always try to order this in the restaurant being they are delicious! Thanks for the easy way of making in the Instant Pot!
Michelle
Thanks Linsey, it's definitely a staple order for us at dim sum! 🙂
2pots2cook
This is such an inviting dish! Just have found the recipe for century egg recipe and am so ready to make it !
Michelle
Thank you Davorka! Do let me know how it turns out for you! 🙂
David @ Spiced
I don't think I've ever had congee, but it looks like the ultimate cold weather comfort food. It's almost like the Cantonese version of chicken noodle soup!
Michelle
Hi David! Congee is definitely one of our comfort foods -- yes you can pretty much compare it to chicken noodle soup for Chinese! 😀 You'll have to give it a try -- and if the preserved century egg is a little bit out of your realm, try the chicken congee instead 🙂