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How to Make Braised Pork with Pickled Cabbage

Braised Pork with Pickled Cabbage is a famous dish from Northern China, simple to make, and rich in protein. Beginners typically need about 3 hours to complete it.

Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★☆☆

Essential Ingredients and Tools

  • Pork belly or pork ribs
  • Northeastern pickled cabbage (Suancai)
  • Green onions
  • Ginger
  • Garlic
  • Salt
  • Light soy sauce
  • Five-spice powder
  • Cooking wine
  • Star anise

Quantities

For 3–5 people:

  • Pork ribs or pork belly (total) 1500 g
  • Northeastern pickled cabbage 1000 g
  • Green onion 1 stalk
  • Ginger 100 g
  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Salt 10 g
  • Light soy sauce 15 g
  • Five-spice powder 10 g
  • Cooking wine 20 ml
  • Star anise 2 pieces

Instructions

  • Cut the green onion into sections; cut 50 g of ginger into sections and the remaining 50 g into minced pieces; mince the garlic and set aside.
  • Shred the pickled cabbage and rinse it 2–3 times with water. Set aside.
  • The number of rinses depends on personal preference. If you prefer a stronger sour taste, rinse 2 times. If you are sensitive to sourness, rinse 3–4 times. Do not skip rinsing, as it will be too sour.
  • Place the pork ribs and pork belly in a pot and cover with cold water. Add all the green onion sections, 50 g of ginger sections, and 20 ml of cooking wine. Bring to a boil over high heat and let it cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the ribs and pork belly, rinse off the scum with cold water, and set aside.
  • Slice or cube the cooked pork belly and set aside.
  • Clean and thoroughly dry the pot (otherwise, the oil will splatter when added).
  • Add oil to the pot over medium heat. Add the minced ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the pork belly and ribs. Fry until golden brown, then add 10 g of five-spice powder and 15 g of light soy sauce. Stir-fry with a spatula for 1–2 minutes.
  • Add the rinsed shredded pickled cabbage to the pot and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
  • Pour in purified water just enough to cover the ingredients. Add 2 pieces of star anise, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat, cover the pot, and simmer.
  • Simmer for 1.5–2 hours until the pork belly is tender (easily pierced with chopsticks).
  • Uncover the pot, turn the heat to high to reduce the sauce, and stir the ingredients until the remaining liquid just covers the bottom of the pot. Reduce to low heat and prepare for seasoning.
  • Seasoning: Add 10 g of salt and stir well.
  • Turn off the heat and serve.

Additional Notes

  • When reducing the sauce over high heat, be careful not to burn the pot. Stir occasionally to check the liquid level.
  • Tip for seasoning: When adding salt at the end, add it gradually, stirring and tasting after each addition, until the desired flavor is achieved.
  • This dish has a unique flavor profile from the pickled cabbage.

If you find any issues or have suggestions for improvement while following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull Request.