Dried Cauliflower Stewed with Braised Pork
I tried the dry pot version of this dish at a restaurant and loved it. Since I don’t have a dry pot at home, I recreated a homemade version. Dried cauliflower tastes better when it is crispy, so don’t soak or cook it for too long. Bean curd sticks are popular in my household, so I added some — they’re optional. If you want to add them, do so 20 minutes before the stew is finished.
Ingredients
Steps
Preparation: Rinse and drain the pork belly; wash and soak the dried cauliflower for 10-20 minutes (less time if you prefer a firmer texture), and you can soak it midway through cooking the meat; rinse the spices. Boil a kettle of water for later use.
Heat the pot, add a tiny amount of oil, and a slice of ginger.
Pan-fry the meat on medium-low heat.
Fry until the surface is slightly golden, but do not render out all the pork fat, as it will make the meat dry.
Remove the cooked meat from the pot.
Leave some oil in the pot and add rock sugar; stir-fry over medium-low heat to create caramelized sugar. Be cautious as it can easily burn and turn bitter.
Once the sugar turns caramel-colored, add the fried meat and stir until evenly coated.
Add all the remaining spices and seasonings, and sauté until aromatic.
Pour in boiling water and bring to a boil. Add salt and oyster sauce — adjust the salt to your taste, but keep it slightly light since the liquid will reduce and intensify the saltiness.
I transferred it to a cast iron pot for stewing. Cover and stew for about 1 hour. If using an ordinary pot, stew for 1.5 hours.
Prepare the dried cauliflower.
Add the dried cauliflower 20 minutes before the dish is done. Stir until it's coated evenly with the broth, then it’s ready to serve.
Ready to serve! 😍