cabbage and white pork recipe

Suancai Bai Rou: A Step-by-Step Guide to this Classic Dish

Suancai Bai Rou, a beloved Northeast Chinese dish, tenderly balances pickled cabbage’s zest with succulent pork. Here’s a simple guide to recreate it at home.

Ingredients: 500g pork belly (or shoulder), 400g pickled Chinese cabbage (suancai), 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, 1 ginger slice, 3 scallions, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, salt, and water.

Steps:

1. Prep the pork: Boil pork in water with ginger and scallions for 20 mins until tender. Cool, then slice thinly.

2. Soak suancai: Rinse suancai under cold water to reduce saltiness, then squeeze dry and shred.

3. Cook the base: Heat oil in a pot, sauté shredded suancai over medium heat for 3 mins. Add mushrooms (soaked and sliced) and 1 cup water. Simmer 10 mins.

4. Combine: Return sliced pork to the pot. Add soy sauce, salt, and more water to cover. Simmer 15 mins until flavors meld.

5. Finish: Drizzle with sesame oil, garnish with chopped scallions. Serve hot with rice.

Tips: For richer flavor, use pork bones to make broth. Adjust suancai’s saltiness by soaking longer. This hearty dish, with its umami depth and contrasting textures, is perfect for cold days!