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5 from 9 votes

Pork Bone Congee Recipe

Pork bone congee or “gee gwut jook” in Cantonese phonetics, is a simple rice congee dish flavored with a meaty pork bone stock.My mom's pork bone congee soup goes back to as long as I remember it as a little kid and is just as good now as it was then!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 10 minutes
Course: Soups and Stocks
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 12
Calories: 58kcal
Author: Bill

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds pork back bones (cut into 2-inch pieces, washed, and drained)
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4½ quarts water
  • 2 pieces dried squid or 2 pieces dried conch or 3 large dried scallops) (smashed into small pieces, optional)
  • 1 cup uncooked rice (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
  • 1 scallion (chopped)
  • ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
  • Fresh ground black or white pepper (to taste)

Instructions

  • Rub the pork bones in 1 tablespoon of salt and marinate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, in the refrigerator.
  • Put the marinated pork bones in a large pot with 4½ quarts of water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Skim off any foam with a spoon or a fine-meshed strainer, and discard.
  • Next add the dried squid/conch/dried scallops (if using), cover the pot loosely, and turn the heat down to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for 4 hours.
  • Taste the soup and re-season with salt if needed. Add the soaked rice and simmer for another hour. If you decide to use Judy’s method for 20-minute Congee, then all you need is an additional 30 minutes after adding the grains!
  • One point I’d like to make here is that the texture and consistency of congee is a very personal thing. Some like their congee cooked like a gruel, where you can’t see any signs of individual rice granules at all. Others prefer the rice granules cooked until they just open up or “blossom like a flower,” to use the literal translation of a Chinese expression. Finally, some prefer it thick and others prefer it thin. This recipe yields a thick congee, where the rice is cooked until it blossoms like a flower. But once you’re familiar with this congee recipe, feel free to adjust the amount of water and/or rice according to your own preferences!
  • At this point, give your congee another taste, and add additional salt to taste. Ladle the congee into small bowls, and serve with chopped scallion, cilantro, and pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 58kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 610mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.1mg