What is Zha Cai? How to Cook It?
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Servings
3
Ingredients
- 300g / 10.6 oz pork loin
-
16.6g / 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 14g / 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- 3.8g / 1.5 tsp cornstarch
- 0.6g / ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 13.6g / 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 27.2g / 2 tbsp of cooking oil
- 4.5g / 1.5 Tsps finely minced ginger
- 13.5g / 1.5 Tbsps minced garlic
- 45g / 1 shallot, sliced thinly
- 24g / 1 red chili, julienned
- 170g / 6 oz of zha cai, julienned
- 1080g / 4.5 cups water
- 180g / 6 baby bok choy, quartered
- 8g / 4 cilantro leaves, diced
- 20g / 1 scallion, diced
To marinate the pork
Others:
Directions
When you buy zha cai in the Asian market, there will be spicy and non-spicy options. Both will work for this recipe. Be sure to choose according to your tolerance. If you are using these small packages, you will need 2 of them.
- You may also find this big zha cai stem. They are the same thing. It is just one is pre-Julienned, and one is whole. If you are using this big zhacai stem, you will need to slice it into thin slabs and then thinly julienne it. Set it aside.
- Cut the pork into 1/8-inch thick slabs and thinly julienne it into 1/8-inch thick strips. I am using pork loin, but pork shoulder or pork butt will also work.
- Marinade the pork with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine, 1.5 tsp cornstarch, and 0.6g / ¼ tsp ground white pepper and mix well.
- Coat the pork with 1 tbsp cooking oil, preventing the meat strips from tangling together and making it easier to stir fry later.
- Turn the heat to high and heat the wok until smoking hot. This is the trick to prevent food from sticking to the pan. Drizzle a generous amount of oil and swirl it around to create a non-stick layer.
- Add the pork and stir over high heat for 2 minutes or until the pork is changed color.
- Add minced ginger, garlic, shallot and stir until fragrant. Add the julienned zhacai, and red chili. Continue to stir over high heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in 4.5 cups of water. If you have stock, that will be even better. If not, water works just fine.
- Bring this to a boil. You don’t need to add any salt because zha cai is very salty already. However, every brand of zha cai has a different sodium level so you do need to taste the broth to adjust the flavor. Cover it with a lid and let it simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook 3 servings of noodles until al dente. Any noodles will work. I have tried vermerchilly, undon, pho, and egg noodles. Just use whatever you have on hand and follow the cooking instructions on the package.
- Add some baby bok choy and blanch for 15 seconds.
- Add the zha cai and the shredded pork, which has been simmering for 10 minutes now. Toss in some diced cilantro and scallion.
- To make a serving, add one portion of noodles to a big serving bowl. Place the bok choy on the side and pour the zhacai pork along with the broth into the serving bowl.
