Northern Chinese Recipe
Suan Cai Pork Stew
Pickled napa cabbage stewed with pork and glass noodles.
Recipe at a glance
| Serves / makes | Serves 4 |
| Time | 1 hour |
| Cuisine or format | Northern Chinese |
| Use | Home cooking and menu literacy |
Ingredients
- 1 lb suan cai or pickled napa cabbage
- 8 oz pork belly or shoulder
- 4 cups stock or water
- 2 slices ginger
- 2 scallions
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 oz glass noodles
- Salt
- White pepper
Method
- Rinse suan cai lightly and slice.
- Blanch pork if desired.
- Simmer pork, ginger, scallions, and stock for 25 minutes.
- Add suan cai and simmer 20 minutes.
- Add soaked glass noodles near the end.
- Season with soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
Variations and substitutions
- Adjust salt, sugar, chile, and vinegar gradually rather than changing all seasonings at once.
- For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, wrappers, broth, cooking wine, and shared equipment.
- When adapting the dish, preserve the core technique and flavor structure that make it recognizable on a menu.