China · Home-style
Braised Pork with Northeastern Sauerkraut
A northern home-style stew of pork belly and ribs simmered slowly with fermented sauerkraut until the meat falls apart and the sour aroma runs through the broth.
This is the kind of pot that northern families make once the weather turns cold, because sauerkraut keeps for months and improves as it ages, while the pot it goes into improves the longer it simmers. Sour-cabbage cooking leans heavily on pork fat, and cutting the belly skin-on is what keeps the finished broth from turning thin. Plan it as an afternoon project, not a weeknight one.
Ingredients
- Northeastern sauerkraut1000 g
- leek1 pieces
- ginger100 g
- garlic4 pieces
- salt10 g
- light soy sauce15 g
- five-spice powder10 g
- cooking wine20 ml
- star anise2 pieces
Directions
- 1
Cut the leek into lengths; shred half the ginger and slice the rest; mince the garlic and set aside.
- 2
Shred all the sauerkraut and rinse it two or three times in water; set aside.
- 3
Put the ribs and pork belly in a pot, cover with cold water, add all the leek, 50 g of the ginger slices and 20 ml cooking wine. Bring to the boil over high heat and let it cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, lift out the meat, rinse off the scum under cold water and set aside.
- 4
Slice or chunk the cooked pork belly and set aside.
- 5
Wash the pot you used earlier and wipe it dry, otherwise the oil will spit when it hits.
- 6
Add oil to the pot over medium heat, add the minced ginger and garlic and fry until fragrant, then add the pork belly and ribs. Sear them until golden, add 10 g five-spice powder and 15 g light soy sauce, and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.
- 7
Add the rinsed sauerkraut and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
- 8
Pour in water to just cover the ingredients, add 2 star anise pods and bring to the boil over high heat, then turn to medium heat, cover and simmer.
- 9
Wait 1.5 to 2 hours until the pork belly is tender enough for a chopstick to push straight through.
- 10
Uncover, raise the heat and reduce the liquid, moving the food around until only a thin layer covers the bottom of the pot, then turn the heat down low and season.
- 11
Season with 10 g salt and stir to combine.
- 12
Turn off the heat and serve.
Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.