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5.0 from 27 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 Time
10 mins
Cook Time
5 hrs
Total Time
5 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 58 kcal
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. Rub the pork bones in 1 tablespoon of salt and marinate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, in the refrigerator.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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!
  5. 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!
  6. 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 Information

Calories 58kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 12g (4%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 1mg (0%) Sodium 610mg (25%) Potassium 23mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 30IU (1%) Vitamin C 0.2mg (0%) Calcium 15mg (2%) Iron 0.1mg (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 58

% Daily Value*

Calories 58kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 610mg 25%
Potassium 23mg 0%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 30IU 1%
Vitamin C 0.2mg 0%
Calcium 15mg 2%
Iron 0.1mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.