Ingredients
150 g Chinese pickled cabbage (sauerkraut-style), 100 g lean pork, 15 g each of mung bean vermicelli and cilantro, 10 g dried shrimp.
Seasonings
Salt, MSG, Sichuan peppercorn water, and cooking wine, each to taste; 1000 ml (about 4 cups) of stock; 2 tablespoons of lard.
Preparation
1. Trim the sinew from lean pork, wash it, and cut into thin strips.
2. Remove the roots and old leaves from the cilantro, wash it clean, and cut into small sections.
3. Soak the vermicelli in warm water until softened, rinse, and cut into long sections; soak the dried shrimp in warm water until rehydrated.
4. Soak the pickled cabbage in water, rinse clean, then cut into thin strips. Place back into a bowl of clean water and rinse twice more, then remove and squeeze out excess water.
Steps
1. Heat a wok or large pan over high heat, add lard and heat until it reaches 70% hot (about 350°F/175°C), then add the shredded pork and stir-fry until it changes color.
2. Add the cooking wine, then pour in the broth, shredded pickled cabbage, vermicelli noodles, and salt, and let everything simmer briefly.
3. Add the dried shrimp, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 6 minutes.
4. Pour in the Sichuan peppercorn water, add MSG to taste, transfer to a soup bowl, and sprinkle with cilantro segments before serving.