Suancai and Pork Belly Soup

Prepare the suancai according to the pack and taste its saltiness and acidity. Rinse briefly once or twice if too salty or sharp, squeeze gently, weigh out 300 g and shred crosswise into 3–5 mm ribbons. Separate 1 spring onion: cut the white part into short lengths and finely slice the green part. Slice 5 g of the ginger and shred the other 5 g. Check the skin on the whole 300 g pork-belly slab and remove any remaining hairs; keep the meat whole.

Put the whole pork-belly slab in a small pot with 1,000 ml cold water, all the spring-onion whites and the 5 g sliced ginger. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam and reduce to a gentle simmer for about 35–45 minutes, until a skewer enters easily but the slab still holds together. Check that the thickest centre reaches 75°C for 30 seconds; thickness affects timing. Top up with water if needed to cover the slab and turn it once during cooking.

Transfer the pork to a clean board and cool for about 15 minutes, until easy to handle. Strain out the aromatics and foam, reserving 700 ml broth; top up with hot water if short. Turn the skin side down and cut the pork into 2–3 mm slices, keeping the skin, fat and lean layers together.

Dry the pot and heat the 5 g cooking oil over medium heat. Stir the remaining 5 g shredded ginger for about 10 seconds, then add all the suancai. Stir-fry for 3–5 minutes, until less steam rises and the sour cabbage smells fragrant; do not brown it.

Pour in the 700 ml strained broth. Bring to a boil, cover with a small gap and simmer over medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, until the thicker cabbage ribs soften while the ribbons remain distinct. The broth should taste tangy and savoury. Top up with hot water in small additions if needed to keep a spoonable soup.

Lay all the thin pork slices loosely over the cabbage and press them gently into the broth. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10–15 minutes, until hot throughout and the fat is tender. Move the slices as little as possible to keep them intact, and retain plenty of broth.

Taste the broth and add salt only as needed; no extra salt is necessary if the suancai has seasoned it enough. Turn off the heat, scatter over all the green spring onion and transfer to a deep serving bowl with plenty of broth. Serve hot.