Clay Pot White Pork
Thin slices of pork belly simmered with pickled cabbage in a clay pot. The broth is savory, the meat rich but not greasy—a warming Beijing classic for winter.
Ingredients
11 items- Pork belly with skin 500g
- Pickled cabbage (sour cabbage) 300g
- Cellophane noodles (vermicelli) 1 bundle
- Scallion 2 sections
- Ginger 4 slices
- Star anise 2 pieces
- Sichuan peppercorns 1 teaspoon
- Cooking wine 2 tablespoons
- Salt To taste
- Sesame oil 1 teaspoon
- White pepper powder A pinch
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Rinse the whole pork belly. Place in cold water with ginger, scallion, and 1 tbsp cooking wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off foam, then reduce to medium heat and cook for about 30 minutes until a chopstick easily pierces the meat. Remove and let cool.
Rinse the pickled cabbage twice, squeeze dry, and shred finely. Soak the cellophane noodles in warm water until soft, then drain.
Slice the cooled pork belly into about 4mm thick slices, as even as possible for uniform cooking.
Heat the clay pot with a little oil. Add scallion, ginger, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns. Sauté over low heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the shredded pickled cabbage. Stir-fry over medium heat for 2 minutes to dry out the moisture and intensify the aroma.
Pour in about 800ml of the reserved pork cooking broth (strained). Bring to a boil over high heat. Add water if needed.
Arrange the pork slices neatly in the clay pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, allowing the meat to absorb the flavors of the pickled cabbage.
Add the soaked noodles, cook for 2 minutes until translucent. Season with salt and white pepper. Drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve hot.
Tips
Freeze the pork belly for 30 minutes before slicing for easier thin cuts. Stir-fry the pickled cabbage until dry to release its full aroma. The pork cooking broth is the key to the dish's umami—do not discard it.
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