This recipe is based on a luxurious version of the homestyle dish that I ate at an upmarket restaurant in Hong Kong. The chefs there had hand-chopped the meat, which makes the texture so much better than pork that's ground in a mincer, and they also used a fatty cut (I use skinless pork belly). Hand-mincing takes some patience and very sharp knives; you should freeze the meat slightly, so it's firmer. It's a lot of work, though, and I won't blame you if you decide to ask the butcher to put the meat through the grinder.
Buy a whole dried cuttlefish, not the shredded type sold as a snack; the whole cuttlefish is less salty and the texture is different. It should be soaked until pliable, then the skin needs to be peeled off (it comes off easily). If you can't find dried cuttlefish or dislike it, leave it out.
Chun pei (dried tangerine peel) comes in segments that are usually attached at the base; for this dish, you need one or two segments, depending on how much you like the distinctive flavour. You can soak the chun pei in the same bowl as the cuttlefish.
Because this dish tastes best hot, I divide the mixture into two portions and pat it into two dishes. I steam one to serve immediately then steam the other while everyone is eating, so it's ready when the diners want seconds. If you like, you can make one larger meat patty and steam it all at once (it will need 30-40 minutes to cook it).
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