Pickled Cabbage and Pork Hot Pot

Pickled Cabbage and Pork Hot Pot

　　Pickled Cabbage and Pork Hot Pot

　　Speaking of Northeastern cuisine, aside from that hearty pot of stew, the allure of pickled cabbage is undeniable, as the region’s winters simply can’t do without it. Northeastern pickled cabbage is made from freshly harvested napa cabbages of the year, cured after being sun-dried.

　　Northeasterners have many ways to enjoy pickled cabbage, often featuring it in nearly every dish on the table.

　　The pickled cabbage and pork hot pot boasts a white, flavorful broth that’s tangy, rich, and delicious. The pickled cabbage is crisp, tender, salty, and tangy; although the pork is fatty, the bone broth base—with the pickled cabbage to balance it—makes the fat melt in your mouth by the end, leaving no greasiness and bringing out the freshest, most tender side of the pork. Frozen tofu soaks up the essence of the rich broth, while fish balls and shrimp balls offer a delightfully bouncy, savory taste.

　　Ingredients needed are: 500g pork belly, 500g pickled cabbage, one large pork bone, 200g frozen tofu, 200g various fish and shrimp balls.

　　Seasonings needed are: 20g each of shredded scallions and ginger slices, 10g salt, 10g chicken powder.

　　How to make Pickled Cabbage and Pork Hot Pot:

　　1. First, break open the pork bone, place it in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil over high heat, then skim off the foam. Simmer over low heat—usually about 30 minutes is enough, but the longer the better—to extract a rich bone broth.

　　2. Slice the pork into paper-thin slices, the thinner the better. You can also slightly freeze the pork first until it's just starting to firm up, which makes slicing much easier.

　　3. Make two cuts along the thick edge of the pickled cabbage leaves (two cuts for thick parts, one cut for thin parts), then slice the cabbage lengthwise into fine shreds, the finer the better. Rinse and squeeze out excess water before using.

　　4. In the prepared bone broth, add shredded scallions, ginger slices, salt, and pickled cabbage. Place the pork slices on top of the pickled cabbage. Once the mixture comes to a boil over high heat, add the fish balls, shrimp balls, and frozen tofu. Just before serving, stir in the chicken powder.