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Pig's Blood with Tofu and Pickled Vegetables
A Hunan sour-spicy stew of pig's blood, tofu and pickled mustard, enriched with minced pork — despite the name, this report's version is a soupy stew, not the steamed blood-and-rice cake of the same name. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 猪血粑粑, report 135.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 猪血粑粑_135.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 15 minutesTotal: 25 minutesServings: 2 (adaptation: the source portion is a single generous bowl)Difficulty: MediumRegion: HunanFlavour: Sour-spicy
Why this works
The appeal here is a three-way texture play in a sour-spicy broth: pig's blood that is silky rather than firm, tofu that is soft but holds its shape, and pickled vegetables that stay crunchy and sharp. The method protects each one. Blood and tofu are both blanched briefly — thirty seconds for the blood, ten for the tofu — so they set without turning hard, and the blood is never boiled hard afterwards. The pickled vegetables are fried first over high heat for a full minute, which is what wakes their fermented sour aroma; fried gently, they stay flat and dull. Cooking the blood and tofu in the broth for just three minutes lets them absorb flavour without breaking, and the final reduction is deliberately stopped while about 200 ml of broth remains, because over-reducing is what turns silky blood tough and chalky. Serve it with rice, which softens the sour-spicy edge and turns the broth into a second course of its own.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh pig's blood, set, cut into 2 cm cubes | 7 oz | 200 g | Buy from a reputable butcher or Asian grocery; it must be fresh and fully set. There is no good substitute that keeps the dish — do not use blood sausage (adaptation note). |
| Firm tofu, cut the same size | 5.3 oz | 150 g | Firm tofu holds up; silken tofu will break. |
| Minced pork belly | 1.8 oz | 50 g | — |
| Pickled mustard vegetables, rinsed, squeezed dry, chopped | 2.8 oz | 80 g | Hunan-style pickled mustard; sauerkraut, rinsed, is the nearest substitute but tastes milder (adaptation). |
| Dried chillies, cut into segments | 0.35 oz | 10 g | — |
| Ginger, minced | 1 tsp | 5 g | — |
| Garlic, minced | 1 tsp | 5 g | — |
| Salt | ½ tsp | 3 g | — |
| Light soy sauce | 2 tsp | 10 ml | — |
| White vinegar | 1 tsp | 5 ml | — |
| Hot water | 1⅔ cups | 400 ml | — |
| Neutral cooking oil | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp | 20 ml | — |
| Scallions, to garnish | To taste | To taste | — |
Equipment
- Large skillet or wok — no wok required (adaptation)
- Pot for blanching
- Slotted spoon
Steps
- Blanch. Cut the blood into 2 cm cubes and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds — no longer — then drain. Cut the tofu the same size and blanch for 10 seconds. Rinse the pickled vegetables once, squeeze dry and chop.
- Bloom the aromatics. Heat the oil, add ginger, garlic and chilli segments and fry over medium heat for about 30 seconds until the chillies darken.
- Fry the pork and pickles. Add the minced pork and fry over medium heat until it changes colour and gives up its fat, about 1 minute. Add the pickled vegetables and fry over high heat for 1 minute until the sour aroma rises.
- Build the broth. Pour in 400 ml hot water and bring to a boil.
- Simmer the blood and tofu. Add the blood and tofu, turn to medium heat and cook for 3 minutes so the broth flavours them without breaking them.
- Season and reduce. Add salt, soy sauce and vinegar, stir gently and cook for 1 minute. Turn to high heat and reduce until the broth is slightly thickened, about 200 ml remaining — do not reduce further or the blood toughens. Scatter scallions and serve with rice.
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Technique: blanch briefly, never boil the blood hard
Set blood is a protein gel, like a very delicate tofu: a short blanch sets its surface so it survives the stew, but prolonged hard boiling squeezes water out of it and leaves it rubbery. That is why every timing in this recipe is short — thirty seconds, three minutes, one minute — and why the reduction stops while broth remains. Treat the blood as the most fragile ingredient in the pan, not the sturdiest.
Variations
- Milder: halve the chillies and vinegar. The sour-spicy balance softens but the dish still works (adaptation).
- Without pork: omit the minced pork and add a little more tofu. The broth will be lighter and less rich (adaptation).
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as the steamed pig's blood rice cake?
No — same name, different dish. The famous Hunan pig's blood cake is blood mixed with glutinous rice and steamed. This report's version is a soupy stew of blood cubes, tofu and pickled vegetables, and this page follows the report.
Where do I buy pig's blood?
A good butcher or Asian grocery, sold as set blocks. Buy it fresh, keep it refrigerated, use it the same day, and cook it fully — the source requires a centre temperature of at least 75 °C.
Why did my blood turn hard?
It was blanched too long, boiled hard, or over-reduced. Keep every step short and stop reducing while broth remains.
Storage
Best eaten fresh. Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated; reheat gently until steaming hot throughout (centre at least 75 °C) and do not reheat more than once. Do not freeze.
Pig's Blood with Tofu and Pickled Vegetables — Recipe Card
Silky pig's blood and tofu in a sour-spicy pickled-vegetable broth with minced pork.
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 15 minutesTotal: 25 minutesServings: 2 (adaptation: the source portion is a single generous bowl)
Ingredients: 200 g pig's blood; 150 g firm tofu; 50 g minced pork; 80 g pickled vegetables; 10 g dried chillies; 5 g ginger; 5 g garlic; 3 g salt; 10 ml soy sauce; 5 ml vinegar; 400 ml hot water; 20 ml oil.
Steps: 1) Blanch blood 30 seconds, tofu 10 seconds. 2) Fry ginger, garlic, chillies 30 seconds. 3) Fry pork 1 minute, pickles on high heat 1 minute. 4) Add 400 ml hot water, boil. 5) Add blood and tofu, medium heat 3 minutes. 6) Season, cook 1 minute, reduce to ~200 ml, serve.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 猪血粑粑 (data/reports/135.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. Original poster image: clouchef.com (猪血粑粑_135.jpeg). The source lists a target broth acidity (pH 4.5–5.0); home cooks should judge sourness by taste rather than measuring pH — labelled adaptation. The 2-serving presentation and the sauerkraut substitute note are adaptations. The dish name is kept as in the report, with the stew-versus-rice-cake distinction stated on the page.