Shanghai-Style Braised Napa with Pork Julienne (上海烂糊肉丝 Shanghai Lan Hu Rou Si)
Mush pork julienne is a dish from Shanghai that includes napa cabbage and pork. The napa is braised until it is soft and mushy. It goes well with rice or as a topping over noodles.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1/2 (~225g) lb pork tenderloin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt)
- ~3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil + 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1.5 - 2 lb napa cabbage
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)
- 1/2 cup pork bone stock or water
- 1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon starch
Instructions
- 1
>First make the pork julienne by following steps 1-3 from my previous Tender Pork Julienne recipe.
- 2
While marinating the pork julienne, prepare the napa cabbage. If your napa cabbage is heavier than 3 lbs, cut it in half and only use half. Remove the core and rinse the leaves thoroughly to get rid of any hidden dirt. Then stack a few similar-sized leaves and cut the leaves in half or in three pieces (depending on the length). Finally, chop each piece into thin strips along the veins, about 1/8 inch x 3 inch (0.3 cm x 8 cm).
- 3
Now that pork julienne is done marinating, cook the pork julienne by following step 4 from my previous Tender Pork Julienne recipe. Make sure the pork julienne is only cooked to 80% doneness. Set aside. If you are really pressed for time, you can also do this step while braising the napa, which is done in step 4.
- 4
Heat a large wok or a deep nonstick pan under medium heat. When the pan is warm, add the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Then add the napa cabbage strips. Sprinkle the 1 teaspoon of kosher salt on top of the napa cabbage, mixing well with chopsticks. Pour in the 1/2 cup of pork bone stock or water and the 1 tablespoon of Chinese Shaoxing cooking wine, stirring to combine. Cover the lid and lower the heat to low and braise the napa for about 10 minutes until it becomes super soft. Be patient! When the napa is done braising, remove the lid and add the mostly-cooked pork julienne Gently mix with the napa cabbage strips.
- 5
Prepare the starch water by mixing the 1 tablespoon of starch with 3 tablespoons of water. Then slowly pour in the starch water, half at a time. Use chopsticks to gently swirl the ingredients around to thicken the liquid. Add more salt to taste. Turn off the heat.