Here is another familiar comfort food from Shanghai. As far as Shanghainese cuisine is concerned, this dish is as relevant as Hong Shao Rou (Red Cooked Pork) or Shanghai Soup Dumplings.
My grandma used to make this dish with a big spoonful of the good stuff–lard. In those days, pork fat was saved and stored like liquid gold.
Nowadays, lard isn’t much of a pantry staple, but if you want to make this dish the traditional way, I promise not to judge! But this Shanghai classic one-pot meal still stands on its own without the pork fat and is definitely a lot healthier with just a bit of vegetable oil.
Shanghai Cai Fan: Recipe Instructions
Soak the Jasmine or plain long grain rice in 1 1/4 cups water in a clay pot for 45 minutes to an hour.
Once soaked, sprinkle on the salted, cured pork and add a tablespoon of pork lard, bacon grease, or oil.
Put the pot over medium heat, uncovered, and bring it to a boil.
While you wait for rice to boil, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok using medium heat.
Add the minced ginger and caramelize a bit. Then add the bok choy, and stir-fry just until wilted. Turn off the heat.
Once the pot is boiling, cover the pot, turn the heat down to the lowest setting, and let it simmer for 8 minutes.
Now take off the lid and add the cooked bok choy (don’t pour in any of the cooking liquid from the bok choy) to the top of the rice and cover again.
Let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve your Shanghai Cai Fan as a one pot meal!
Shanghai Cai Fan (Rice with Salted Pork and Greens)
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/4 cup salted cured pork (diced)
- 1 tablespoon pork lard (you can also substitute bacon grease or oil)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger (minced)
- 1/2 lb baby bok choy (225g, washed and finely chopped)
Instructions
- Soak the rice in 1 1/4 cups water in a clay pot for 45 minutes to an hour. Once soaked, sprinkle on the salted pork and add a tablespoon of grease or oil. Put the pot over medium heat, uncovered, and bring it to a boil.
- While you wait for rice to boil, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok using medium heat. Add the minced ginger and caramelize a bit. Then add the boy choy, and stir-fry just until wilted. Turn off the heat.
- Once the pot is boiling, cover the pot, turn the heat down to the lowest setting, and let it simmer for 8 minutes. Now take off the lid and add the cooked bok choy (don't pour in any of the cooking liquid from the bok choy) to the top of the rice and cover again. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve!
How would you cook this in an Instant Pot?
Hi Stephanie, you can use the rice setting on your instant pot to cook the rice and salt pork, but you still have to cook the greens separately.
Can you cook this in a rice cooker? If so, should I still follow the recipe as written above?
Yes, Sisi, you can follow the recipe to cook it in a rice cooker.
Hi Judy, this looks amazing. I don’t eat pork – what would you use instead of cured pork here?
Thanks!
Hi Haikal, you can use salted duck meat, salted cod, or other salty ingredients that you like.
As I don’t have a clay pot, can I substitute it with my Le Creuset with lid?
Thanks for all your recipes!
For sure you can, Laurie.
Hi Judy, I’m so excited to try this recipe! When measuring the rice and water, are you using the traditional US cups (1 cup = 8 ounces) or are you using the Asian rice cooker cups (which is slightly smaller)?
Thank you!
Hi Tina, I don’t quite remember. Just know to use the same “cup” to measure both the rice and water.
Thanks, Judy! Just finished making the salted pork today and tried the cai fan. Definitely not enough for 4 servings in our house 😂 but very delicious! Very close to the flavor from my favorite restaurant that I’m trying to replicate. Thanks!
Hi Tina, that’s great! A bit of lard will take this dish to another level. I wonder if your favorite restaurant adds lard to this dish :-) The Shanghainese just love lard. :-)
Do you stir and mix right before you serve?
Hi Christopher, yes!
Delicious! PS: Lard is way better for us than vegetable oil that is manufactured in a chemical lab. Our bodies now how to process natural fats :)
Hahaha…thank you for your “Lard is way better for us than vegetable oil” :-)