[Taiwanese Home-Style Dish “Pickled Cucumber Steamed Hamburger Steak” Made with Yamaichi's Chinese Steamer]

In Taiwan, where the culture of eating out is well-developed, one of the major attractions is being able to enjoy delicious food at reasonable prices. Meanwhile, the dishes cherished at home are called “home-style dishes (jiā cháng cài)”. The basic meal consists of rice, soup, a main dish of meat or fish, and a side of green vegetables – a simple, unpretentious menu. Characterized by using ingredients readily available in any household, the seasoning is often simple and never gets old. Cooking methods center around stir-frying, simmering, and steaming. Flavors using soy sauce, garlic, fried shallots, and pepper are favored for their perfect pairing with white rice.

I tried making one such Taiwanese home-style dish, “gua zi rou,” using Yamichi's Chinese steamer. Gua zi rou is a steamed hamburger steak patty with pickled cucumber. Serving it fresh off the steamer, then pouring the juices over rice as you portion out the meat, captures the essence of everyday Taiwanese dining.

The method is incredibly simple: mix ground pork with coarsely chopped soy-pickled cucumber (using “Kyuchan”), its pickling liquid, garlic, scallions, sugar, sake, soy sauce, pepper, sesame oil, and water. Press the mixture flat into a heatproof dish. Then, simply steam it in a Chinese steamer. After about 20 minutes, you'll have fluffy steamed hamburger steak. When you pierce them with chopsticks and clear juices flow out, it's done. It requires almost no effort yet delivers a juicy, savory flavor that pairs perfectly with rice.

The “Cooking & Serving Spoon” by Wadasuke Seisakusho is handy for serving dishes with plenty of liquid. Its shape makes it easy to serve simmered dishes and salads, or use as a cooking spatula. Crafted from durable 18-8 stainless steel with substantial thickness, it resists scratches and deformation. The smooth curve fits comfortably in your hand, making it easy to scoop ingredients. It's also recommended for serving dishes like mapo tofu.

Enjoy the deliciousness of freshly steamed food without the fuss. Experience the gentle flavors unique to home-style cooking in your own kitchen.

Yamaichi's Chinese Seiro
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yamaichi/seiro.html
Seiryugama's Kobachi L
https://www.shokunin.com/en/seiryu/kobachi.html
Wadasuke Seisakusho's Cooking & Serving Spoon S
https://www.shokunin.com/en/wadasuke/spoon.html

Reference
https://dancyu.jp/recipe/2025_00009679.html (Recipe)