Som Pak with Pig Ears or Pig Tendon - Laos Fermented Cabbage
Deliciously flavorful and full of texture - fermented cabbage with pork ears (also known as som pak gallum) is really easy to make with a handful of ingredients.
- Prep time
- 1 hr
- Cook time
- 5 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 pig ear
- 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
- ½ large cabbage head, chopped into 2 inch pieces
- 1 bunch of green onion, cut into 2 inch slices
- 5 tablespoons of salt, divided
- 1 16 oz bottle of purified water
Instructions
- 1
Bring a pot of water to boil.
- 2
Boil the pig ear for 1 hour. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
- 3
Slice thinly and wash with a salt water bath along with vinegar.
- 4
Firmly squeeze the thinly sliced pig ear to remove moisture. Allow the slices to dry.
- 5
Set aside.
- 6
Get a colander and place it inside a large bowl.
- 7
For the first cycle, add in water into the bowl along with the cabbage, green onion, and tablespoon of salt. Combine the mixture with your hands while gently squeezing the cabbage mixture. Drain and rinse with water twice.
- 8
Repeat the cycle three more times.
- 9
During the tenth wash, remove the colander. Add in the cabbage mixture along with the sliced pig ear into the bowl without the calendar. Add in the last tablespoon of salt. Add in the bottle of purified water.
- 10
Put the mixture into a clean container.
- 11
Pack the mixture really tight into the container. Put plastic wrap on the top of the mixture to prevent air.
- 12
Add the lid. Leave on the counter at room temperature for 24 hours days. During the fermentation process over the day, it will start getting bitter and sour. Once it gets to taste, you can stop the fermentation process by putting it in the refrigerator.
- 13
Serve with a main dish.