Suan Cai Bai Rou

Ingredients

• 800 g skin-on pork belly, in one piece
• 4 spring onions
• 8 slices fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 star anise
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 600 g suan cai (Chinese fermented napa cabbage)
• 150 g sweet potato vermicelli
• 200 g blood sausage, sliced (optional)
• 1 tbsp lard or neutral oil
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
• 2 tbsp chilli oil
• 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 small handful coriander, chopped

Before you cook

• Rinse the suan cai twice in cold water and squeeze it dry.
• Slice each thick leaf horizontally into two thin sheets, then shred it as finely as you possibly can.
• Soak the vermicelli in cold water for 30 minutes.
• Mix the soy sauce, garlic paste, chilli oil, vinegar, sesame oil and coriander into a dipping sauce.
• Divide the dipping sauce between small bowls.

Steps

1. Put the pork belly in a pot with cold water, half the ginger, two of the spring onions, the Shaoxing wine, star anise and Sichuan peppercorns.
2. Bring it to the boil and skim the surface clean.
3. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes, until a chopstick passes through the meat easily.
4. Lift the pork out and leave it for 20 minutes to firm up enough to slice.
5. Strain the cooking broth and keep 1.2 litres of it.
6. Slice the pork as thinly as you can, keeping the skin and fat attached to every slice.
7. Heat the lard in a wide casserole and fry the remaining ginger for 20 seconds.
8. Add the shredded suan cai and stir-fry for 5 minutes, until it smells nutty rather than sharply sour.
9. Pour in the reserved broth and bring it to the boil.
10. Simmer, partly covered, for 25 minutes.
11. Lay the pork slices over the cabbage and simmer for another 10 minutes.
12. Add the drained vermicelli and the sliced blood sausage.
13. Cook for a final 6 minutes.
14. Season with the salt and white pepper.
15. Serve straight from the pot, with the garlic dipping sauce alongside.