Authentic Cantonese Beef Clay Pot Rice Recipe
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Clay pot rice, aka Baozai fan, is an iconic Cantonese street food packed with rich flavors and contrasting textures. Imagine a pot of fluffy long-grain rice topped with savory, tender beef and perfectly cooked eggs; the bottom is carefully scorched until golden and crispy. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.So are you tired of the same old rice dishes and looking to try something new and exciting?Then this clay pot rice recipe is sure to impress.
Clay pot rice has many variations. Beef and egg is the classic choice; however, onceyou have the technique down, you can play around with other toppings, such as chicken, pork, sausage, fish, and shrimp.
Why Use aClay Pot?
The clay pot has a high heat capacity,which allows the rice to form a perfect crust at theentire bottom. If youdon't have one, a heavy-duty cast-iron skillet will do the samejob.If using a rice cooker or stockpot, it will be harder to achieve a crispy result.
Author:
Ingredients
- 283g / 10 oz beef, sliced thinly
- 2.9g / ½ tsp salt
- 1.6g / ⅓ tsp baking soda
- 14g / 1 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine, optional
- 0.8g / ⅓ tsp ground white pepper
- 8.3g / 1.5 tsps dark soy sauce
- 7.5g / 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 17g / 1 Tbsp satay paste, optional
- 27g / 2 Tbsps cooking oil
- 13.5g / 1.5 Tbsps minced garlic
- 10g / 2 Tbsps diced white part of the scallions
- 6g / 2 tsps minced ginger
- 25g / 1.5 Tbsps soy sauce
- 9g / ½ Tbsp oyster sauce
- 8.5g / ½ Tbsp fish sauce
- 4.2g / 1 tsp sugar
- 60g / ¼ cup water
- 25g / 1.5 Tbsps soy sauce
- 9g / ½ Tbsp oyster sauce
- 8.5g / ½ Tbsp fish sauce
- 4.2g / 1 tsp sugar
- 60g / ¼ cup water
- 1 egg
- 180g / about 6 baby bok choy, quartered and blanched
- 10g / 2 Tbsps diced green part of the scallions as garnish
To marinate the beef
To make the seasoning sauce
To cook the rice
To finish
Directions
- Cut the beef into ⅛-inch thick slices and place into a large mixing bowl. I recommend using a tender cut, such as sirloin, ribeye, flank, or New York strip steak.
- Add the salt, white pepper, baking soda, dark soy sauce, cornstarch, Chinese cooking wine, and optional satay sauce to the beef and mix well. Set the beef aside.
- Add cooking oil, minced garlic, ginger, and diced scallions to a saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until the aromatics are slightly golden. Turn off the stove and let it cool.
- Pour the oil into the marinated beef but leave the fried aromatics (garlic, ginger, and diced scallions) behind.
- Mix beef thoroughly until it is coated with the fragrant oil evenlyy. Set the mixture aside for 15 minutes. Chef’s Secret: This step is the key to tender, juicy meat as it locks in moisture and provides a succulent texture. The beef is going to be steamed above the rice so it won't get that much of the Maillard reaction. Therefore, the fragrance from these fried aromatics is important, making the dish delectable.
- While waiting, wash and rub the rice gently under running water several times and drain thoroughly.
- Add the rice to the clay pot along with 360g / 1.5 cups water and soak for 15 minutes to allow the grains to fully absorb the moisture, which ensures fast and even cooking.
- While waiting, place the saucepan with the fried aromatics onto the stove and add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and 4 Tbsps water. Bring it to a simmer and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.
- Place the clay pot with the rice on the stove and cook over high heat for 10-14 minutes or until most of the water is evaporated. Try to resist the thought of opening the lid to check; you will know the water is evaporated when the edge of the pot stops popping out bubbles.
- Turn off the heat and uncover the pot. Place the marinated beef slices onto the rice. There is no need to rush. You can take your time here.
- Put on the lid and drizzle the sesame oil around the rims of the clay pot. Chef’s Secret: a claypot lid’s diameter is always shorter than the actually claypot, which allows the oil to naturally drip down follling the wall of the claypot, creating that signature scorched rice base. If you use a dutch oven or a cast-iron skillet, which has a bigger lid, then you will have to drizzle the oil along the edge of the cookware while the lid is open.
- Turn the heat back to high and continue to cook for 3 more minutes. During this time, rotate the clay pot every 20 seconds to ensure an even crust. Please use oven mitts when holding the clay pot as the handles can get really hot.
- Quickly open the lid and crack in one egg at the center. Continue to cook on high heat and rotate the clay pot for 2 more minutes. This dish can be tricky because you want the rice, beef, and egg to finish cooking simultaneously without overcooking. I provided estimated times for each step, but everyone's preferences and stove heat vary. You'll need to practice and adjust based on your own experience. You'll know the crust has formed when you smell the nutty roasted rice fragrance.
- Turn off the heat. Add some blanched baby bok choy around the edge of the clay pot, drizzle the seasoning sauce all over the rice, and sprinkle some diced scallions as garnish.
