Suzhou-Style Pickled Mustard Greens and Pork Mooncakes
As someone with roots in Jiangnan, I make Suzhou-style mooncakes every Mid-Autumn Festival — savory pickled mustard greens and pork as well as rose and red bean paste — I enjoy both the savory and the sweet. This year my son is heading back to the US for school and I'm traveling abroad with friends, leaving my husband on his own at home, so our family of three will spend the holiday in different cities. While we're all together during this break, I made the first batch of this year's Suzhou-style pickled mustard greens and pork mooncakes and recorded the recipe.
Ingredients
Water dough:
medium-gluten flour
200g
lard
67g
granulated sugar
7g
warm water (about 30°C/86°F)
86g
Oil pastry:
low-gluten flour
160g
lard
80g
Pickled mustard greens and pork filling:
ground pork
250g
Shaoxing wine
2.5g
light soy sauce
2.5g
dark soy sauce
5g
sugar
5g
salt
4g
scallion-ginger water
30g
white pepper powder
to taste
pickled mustard greens
100g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Prepare the filling. Take 250g of pork shoulder (30% fat, 70% lean), cut into small pieces, then finely chop with two cleavers (I prefer using two knives for chopping meat) to make ground pork.
2
Step 2
Finely chop 100g of pickled mustard greens.
3
Step 3
Mix the ground pork with the prepared seasonings until well combined, then fold in the chopped pickled mustard greens. Divide into 20g portions, roll each into a ball by hand, arrange with space between them, and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. (This helps them hold their shape for the wrapping step later.)
4
Step 4
Take out the lard that was rendered the day before.
5
Step 5
Prepare the water dough. Combine all the water dough ingredients and knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms (until it can develop a thin membrane). Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
6
Step 6
Prepare the oil pastry. Mix the low-gluten flour with the lard, and use the heel of your hand to repeatedly push and rub the mixture until it comes together into a dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
7
Step 7
Divide the water dough evenly into 20 portions, each about 18g. Roll each into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and then place a dampened kitchen towel on top.
8
Step 8
Divide the oil pastry dough evenly into 20 portions, each about 12g, and roll into balls.
9
Step 9
Wrap in the oil pastry. Flatten a water dough ball, place an oil pastry ball in the center, and wrap it up into a round ball. Repeat with all the dough portions.
10
Step 10
Take one wrapped portion and roll it out into an elongated strip (ox-tongue shape). Roll it up tightly from top to bottom, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes.
11
Step 11
Roll out and roll up all the wrapped portions the same way.
12
Step 12
Then repeat the rolling-out and rolling-up process one more time for all portions. Keep covered with plastic wrap and let rest for another 15 minutes.
13
Step 13
Take one rested dough portion, place it seam-side up, and press down in the center with your thumb.
14
Step 14
Bring the two sides together to form a round ball, then roll it out into a flat circle.
15
Step 15
Wrap the prepared pickled mustard greens and pork filling inside, pinching the seams tightly closed to prevent the filling from leaking out.
16
Step 16
Decorate the shaped mooncakes as you like—dot with red food coloring or press a seal/stamp on top.
17
Step 17
Place in a flat pan and cook over low heat until fully done.
18
Step 18
If you prefer to bake, preheat the oven in advance. Bake at 180°C/350°F on the middle rack, top and bottom heat, for 25–30 minutes.
19
Step 19
Best enjoyed while hot—absolutely delicious!
