Suan Cai Bai Rou (Pork and Fermented Cabbage Stew)
Sourness awakens the stomach! Stewed fermented Chinese cabbage and ultra-thin pork belly
Description
A refined version of Sha Zhu Cai. Omits the blood jelly and offal, purely boiling the 'intensely sour fermented cabbage (Suan Cai)', 'paper-thin fatty pork belly (Bai Rou)', and glass noodles in pork broth.
Restaurants serving Suan Cai Bai Rou (Pork and Fermented Cabbage Stew)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Pork belly
- Suan Cai(Fermented cabbage)
- Fen Tiao(Thick glass noodles)
- Frozen tofu
- Star anise
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Wash 'Suan Cai' (Northeast winter fermented cabbage), julienne finely, and squeeze dry.
- Boil a block of pork belly (Bai Rou) with scallions, ginger, star anise, and Sichuan pepper for an hour until tender.
- Chill the pork to firm it up, then slice paper-thin. Reserve the boiling liquid as a premium pork broth.
- Heat lard in a wok, fry scallion/ginger, then heavily fry the julienned Suan Cai to mellow its sharp acidity.
- Pour in the pork broth, add the sliced pork belly, glass noodles, and frozen tofu, simmering on low.
- The rich pork fat melts into the soup and is perfectly absorbed by the sour cabbage.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Lactic fermented flavor of Suan Cai
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Sauerkraut + Sliced pork belly
Pairing
Baijiu / Boiled Dumplings
Trivia
[Trivia] In autumn, Northeast families salt-cure hundreds of kilos of cabbage in giant crocks to make this 'Suan Cai', eating it daily to survive the brutal winters.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] The sweet pork fat floating on top and the sour cabbage create a miraculous chemical reaction. The acidity cleanses the stomach, allowing you to eat this heavy fat endlessly.
Allergen
Pork, Soybeans