1. Mince or grind pork. Mix well with cornstarch, salt and soy sauce.

2. Spread mixture out flat like a pancake in a shallow heatproof dish.

3. Steam on a rack until done, about 30 minutes (see "How-To Section").

Check with a fork to see that meat is no longer pink. Serve hot.

minutes.

In step 1, add to pork mixture any of the following:

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon peanut oil

1 scallion stalk, minced

1 egg, beaten

(soaked), minced

1/2 cup water chestnuts, minced

Or add any of the following as indicated:

Black Beans: Add to pork mixture 1 tablespoon fermented black beans (soaked), mashed, and 1 garlic clove, minced.

Chinese Sausages: Place on top of pork mixture 2 Chinese sausages, either cut diagonally in 1/2-inch slices, or minced.

Dried Oysters: Add to pork mixture 4 dried oysters (soaked), minced.

Duck Livers: Add to pork mixture 2 dried duck livers (soaked), minced, and 1/2 cup water chestnuts, minced.

Pickled Bamboo Shoots : Place on top of pork mixture 1/2 cup pickled bamboo shoots, drained.

Preserved Turnip: Add to pork mixture 1/2 bundle preserved turnip, washed and shredded, 1 tablespoon sherry and a dash of pepper.

Salt Cabbage: Add to pork mixture 1/4 to 1/2 cup salted or preserved cabbage, chopped. Top with 2 tablespoons water chestnuts, sliced.

Salt Egg: Separate 1 salt egg. Add the white to the pork mixture along with 1 fresh egg, beaten; 6 water chestnuts, minced, 2 teaspoons sherry and a dash of pepper. Mash or cut up salt egg yolk and sprinkle on top.

Salt Fish: Add to pork mixture 1/8 pound dried salted fish (soaked), minced, plus 1/4 cup water. Or arrange on top of pork mixture 4 strips of salt fish, about 3/4 inches wide by 2 inches long (soaked), and 2 slices fresh ginger root, minced. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon oil.

Tea Melon: Add to pork mixture 1/2 cup tea melon, rinsed and chopped coarsely or diced. Or add 4 tablespoons tea melon and 1 cup bamboo shoots, chopped coarsely. Or add 2 tablespoons tea melon, minced; 2 tablespoons preserved turnip, minced; 1 tablespoon cloud ear mushrooms (soaked), minced, and a few drops of sesame oil.

Vegetables: Add to pork mixture any of the following:

1 Cup cauliflower, broken into tiny flowerets or cut in 1-inch pieces and parboiled.

1/4 cup carrots, diced and parboiled.

1/4 cup cup Chinese turnips, diced and parboiled.

Instead of blending the soy sauce with the pork mixture, as in step 1, sprinkle soy over the top with a circular motion in step 2. Minced scallions can be sprinkled over the pork in the same way.

From <The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook>, Isbn 0-517-65870-4. Downloaded from Glen's Mm Recipe Archive, http://www. Erols. Com/hosey.