Hot and Sour Cabbage Stir-Fry
You'll need just five minutes to cook this very simple Sichuan-style stir-fry, which is both spicy and sour. Flat-leaf cabbage is ideal here because it maintains its crunch.
Ingredients
- 5 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing vinegar
- 2 tsp water
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 6 oz thinly sliced pork belly, cut into chunks
- 5 cloves garlic halved lengthwise and smashed
- 5 dried red chilies halved, seeds removed
- 680 g flat-leaf cabbage or green cabbage torn into bite-size pieces
- 5 green onions or Chinese chives cut into chunks
- 2 tsp Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang)
- ΒΌ cup salted peanuts roughly chopped and smashed (optional)
- pinch kosher salt (optional)
- toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- In small bowl, stir together soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, water and sugar; set aside close to stovetop. Arrange remaining ingredients (except oil) on rimmed sheet in bowls and place close to stovetop.
- Heat wok or large cast-iron pan over high heat. Add oil and heat until hazy. Add pork belly and cook, stirring, until browned and crispy, 2 to 4 minutes; remove fat to a bowl, leaving 1 tbsp in pan. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic and chilies and cook, stirring, until garlic is light brown, 45 to 60 seconds.
- Add cabbage and drizzle over soy sauce mixture. Return to high heat, cover and cook for 1 minute. (Or if pan is too full, carefully slide mixture into large bowl, quickly toss and return to pan.) Sprinkle in green onions and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute.
- Drizzle over vinegar; toss and sprinkle with peanuts (if using). Gently stir, or slide into large bowl again to toss and return to pan; the cabbage should be crunchy and lightly caramelized. Remove from heat, sprinkle with salt (if using) and garnish with sesame seeds (if using).