Home-Style Dishes
Chive, Pig's Blood and Fishball Bowl
A comforting homemade version of a classic street snack
Why people make this dish
Chive, pig’s blood, radish and fishball in an aromatic broth is a beloved classic comfort bowl. Street-vendor versions are best enjoyed only occasionally, since a heavy addition of lard can push the cholesterol up. Making it at home takes a little time, but it’s tasty and cleaner, and an occasional bowl is no harm at all. The secret is the broth: it must be simmered from pork bones and aromatics for the dish to taste right.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits anyone who enjoys a hearty, savory comfort bowl
- Those watching cholesterol or sodium should enjoy it in moderation; the salted mustard greens are already quite salty, so taste before adding more seasoning
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Pork bones + aromatics (zhu gu, cao guo, ba jiao, gui pi): build the deep, fragrant broth that gives the dish its restaurant-style flavor
- Garlic chives (jiu cai): added at the end for a fresh, savory lift
- Pig’s blood curd (zhu hong): a traditional source of iron, prized for its soft texture
- Salted mustard greens (xian suan cai): lend the signature tangy, briny note
Ingredients (1 pot, 2–3 servings)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pork bones | ~300 g | blanched first |
| Aromatics (cardamom, star anise, cassia, bay) | small amount each | for the broth |
| Ginger | 3 slices | — |
| Shallots | 3 | — |
| Pig’s blood curd | 2 large pieces | sliced or cubed |
| Fishballs | 1 pack | — |
| White radish | half | peeled, cubed, blanched |
| Garlic chives | ~75 g | cut into segments |
| Salted mustard greens | 2 tbsp | soaked 30 min, shredded |
| Red chili | 1 | seeded, cut |
| Seasoning + cooking wine | to taste | — |
Method
- Blanch the pork bones, then simmer with the aromatics, ginger and shallots into a rich broth; strain and keep the liquid.
- Peel and cube the radish, then blanch. Soak the salted mustard greens 30 minutes and shred. Slice or cube the pig’s blood. Cut the chives into segments. Seed and cut the chili.
- Simmer the radish about 15 minutes, then add fishballs, pig’s blood and chili and bring gently to a boil.
- Add the salted mustard greens; taste, then add cooking wine and seasoning, thicken with a thin starch slurry, stir in the chives, cook briefly and serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
Because salted mustard greens vary in saltiness, add them and cook a moment before adding any seasoning. Keep the heat low while cooking the pig’s blood, or it will toughen.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (angel): I love this dish but can never get that special sauce right when I cook it at home. Bro Niu: Add the aromatic spices to the broth as in this recipe and you’ll get the restaurant flavor of chive-and-pig’s-blood.
- Q (好好): My pig’s blood always turns out firm and rubbery, even just soaking in hot congee. Yours looks so tender — why? Bro Niu: Raw pig’s blood gently poached over low heat shouldn’t turn firm and rubbery. The pig’s blood made overseas may simply be prepared differently.
Published January 12, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
