Learn how to make simple but very yummy pork and cabbage stir fry, named as Chinese cabbage dry pot in China.
One week ago, I visited a very famous Hubei style restaurants which is featured by the Chairman Mao's red braised pork belly. We have some very impressing dishes including steamed fish head, shredded red bean pancakes and this dry pot cabbage. You can find it in the left corner of the image below. I am sure that the chef use a lot of oil, which is an universal phenomenon in China. There is an old saying describing this principle, as "礼多人不怪，油多不坏菜" meaning no people complains too many gifts and no dish is destroyed by too much oil. The former part might be right, but I hold a slightly different option about the later one. Too much oil sometimes do make dishes as a failure.
Dry pot (100% avoid water) in Hunan and Hubei is slightly different from the versions from Sichuan cuisine. In Sichuan area, we usually mix lots of ingredients, usually meat (fish, shrimp, chicken wings and ribs), all types of vegetables with lots of spices and seasonings. I will introduce a real Sichuan version and teach you how to customize your own homemade version base on a regular formula very soon. In Hubei area, most of the dishes can be made as dry pot. Dry pot vegetable, dry pot pig's large intestines, dry pot chicken. It use very simple ingredients but the fresh chili red peppers (I believe is Facing Heaven) brings a very strong freshness and hotness, and for this dish, comparing very good with the faint sweet taste of the cabbage itself.
A fact is that when you eat this in restaurant, the cabbage leaves are not well washed in order to keep it dry. Sound horrible right? But that’s almost the fact in China. I cannot accept raw cabbage anyway. So I still wash the large leaves carefully and then drain the shredded smaller pieces with a salad drainer. The key step of this dish is to make sure there is no water attached. Water spoils the flavors.
Ingredients
- 100g pork belly, skin removed and sliced
- 5 large leaves of cabbage, washed, hand shredded and completely drained
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 small chunk of ginger, sliced
- 4 fresh Thai peppers, cut into small circles
- 3 green onions, cut into small sections and separate green parts and white part
Seasonings
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. sugar
- ½ tbsp. sesame oil
Steps
Spread a very little amount of oil in wok and fry the pork belly until cured and browned. Move them to one side of the wok.
Place garlic, ginger, scallion white and Thai peppers. Fry for half minutes until aromatic.
Add cabbage in, make a quick stir fry, then add light soy sauce, salt and sugar. Mix in sesame oil too. Serve hot.
🧾Recipe
Pork and Cabbage Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 100 g pork belly skin removed and sliced
- 5 large leaves of cabbage washed, hand shredded and completely drained
- 4 garlic cloves sliced
- 1 small chunk of ginger sliced
- 4 fresh Thai peppers cut into small circles
- 3 green onions cut into small sections and separate green parts and white part
Seasonings
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. sugar
- ½ tbsp. sesame oil
Instructions
- Spread a very little amount of oil in wok and fry the pork belly until cured and browned. Move them to one side of the wok.
- Place garlic, ginger, scallion white and Thai peppers. Fry for half minutes until aromatic.
- Add cabbage in, make a quick stir fry, then add light soy sauce, salt and sugar. Mix in sesame oil too. Serve hot.
Sophie Bouchard
This is delicious! I made this recipe twice now and I would do it again. The crisp pork belly mix really well with the cabbage and I like how quick and easy this recipe is.
Elaine
Sophie,
Thanks so much for you lovely feedback. You really get the points of this one. Happy cooking.
Lisa
Wow! Great flavor and hubby loved it ! Thanks for the recipe .... will make this again soon
Elaine
Wow, you got it, Lisa. This is a super yummy and easy recipe loved by all my family member.
Nikki_Krakauer “JustTabandMe”
I haven’t tried it yet, but I love Sichuan Chinese foods!!! When you ask for “light soy sauce”, do you mean everyday soy sauce, low salt soy sauce, or something else. Also, you added salt, in addition to the light soy sauce. Doesn’t the soy sauce add enough salt flavor (in addition to enhancing the Unami flavors)? Thank you for sharing your recipe with us!!! It’s very much like my favorite beef & onions, (to which I add chili flakes!) that I found on RasaMaylasia’s site.
Elaine
Nikki,
Good question, I use low salt soy sauce in my daily cooking. Although light soy sauce is salty but salt can gives a more basic flavors. They two presents different flavors.
Nikki Krakauer
Thank you so very much for answering my question! And sharing this recipe!!! One of bi weekly regulars!
Elaine
My pleasure!
Matt Faddy
I loved the idea of cabbage and pork belly, so I've tried this a couple of times and it's amazing. Top tip ! Don't throw away the pork skin !! Toss it in 5 spice, ground szechuan peppercorn and salt and roast in the oven for 20 mins. It makes an amazing snack on the side !!
Elaine
Thanks Matt for your lovely feedback.
Elijah F. Sugay
My wife and mother-in-law loved this dish. The only thing o added was bokchoy and white onions for more greens. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Elaine
My pleasure, Elijah!! Love to know it turns out so good. Happy cooking.
Charlene
I live in an area that doesn't have much variety re ingredients. Couldn't find pork belly so just used some pork I had. This was SO good! Bet it would be good with chicken too. Will go on our rotation. Thank you.
Elaine
Remember to tell me how it works with chicken.
Nate
This is so good. Thanks Elaine. You wrote " I will introduce a real Sichuan version and teach you how to customize your own homemade version base on a regular formula very soon." I'm looking forward to this! I would like to learn all about making Sichuan dry pot and customizing it with different ingredients.
Elaine
Sure. Nate. Already arranged!