**A Journey Through Chinese Cuisine: Exploring the Art of Braising with Mei Gan Cai**

As a cooking enthusiast and creator of Souped Up Recipes, I have had the pleasure of experimenting with numerous ingredients and techniques to bring authentic Chinese dishes to life. With over 300 delicious recipes under my belt, I am always excited to share new experiences and discoveries with my audience. Recently, I introduced a new SKU featuring a carbon steel wok, spatula, and a 304 stainless steel lid with a visual tempered glass window. This combination has proven to be an essential tool in Chinese cuisine, allowing for precise temperature control and effortless cooking.

**The Art of Braising with Mei Gan Cai**

One of the most fascinating ingredients in Chinese cuisine is Mei Gan Cai, a unique leafy vegetable that adds depth and complexity to various dishes. In this recipe, we will explore the art of braising with Mei Gan Cai, a technique that requires patience and attention to detail. To begin, we need to prepare the pork belly by simmering it in liquid for 40 minutes. This slow-cooking process breaks down the connective tissues, making the meat tender and flavorful.

As the pork belly cooks, we can focus on preparing the Mei Gan Cai. This leafy vegetable is notorious for its high sodium content, which can be overwhelming if not handled properly. To mitigate this, we need to rinse the Mei Gan Cai multiple times until all excess water is removed. By doing so, we prevent the dish from becoming too salty and allow the natural flavors of the ingredients to shine through.

**The Finishing Touches**

Once the pork belly has finished cooking, we can add the rinsed Mei Gan Cai to the pot and continue braising for an additional hour or until the meat is tender. The sauce, made with a combination of soy sauce and other seasonings, needs to be reduced to achieve the perfect consistency. This requires constant stirring and attention to prevent burning, which can occur due to the high gelatin and sugar content.

As we taste the dish, we can adjust the seasoning to balance the flavors. Every brand of Mei Gan Cai and soy sauce has its unique sodium levels, so it's essential to make adjustments accordingly. With the sauce finally reduced to perfection, we can proceed to assemble our braised pork belly dish. Traditionally served with plain noodles or white rice, this meal can also be elevated by adding a fried egg and blanched green leafy vegetables.

**Exploring the Texture and Flavor**

One of the most delightful aspects of this dish is the texture contrast between the tender pork belly and crunchy Mei Gan Cai. The fatty meat melts effortlessly in your mouth, while the leafy vegetable provides a satisfying crunch. Even with the high fat content of the pork, the Mei Gan Cai expertly balances the flavors, making each bite an enjoyable experience.

**Meal Preparation Tips**

As with many recipes, I like to prepare this dish in bulk and portion it out for individual servings. This not only makes meal prep more efficient but also allows for convenient reheating. Simply place the braised pork belly in a microwave-safe container and heat for 5 minutes, and you'll have a delicious meal ready in no time.

**Conclusion**

Braising with Mei Gan Cai is an art form that requires patience, attention to detail, and a willingness to experiment. By incorporating this unique ingredient into your cooking repertoire, you can add depth and complexity to various Chinese dishes. With the right techniques and ingredients, you'll be well on your way to creating authentic, mouthwatering meals that will impress even the most discerning palates.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHi everyone. I am Mandy. Welcome to Souped Up Recipes. Today,  I'm excited to introduce a new ingredient that we'll be using to make the best braised  pork belly. This easy dish is bursting with flavors and is melt-in-your-mouth  tender. You can enjoy it atop any plain foundation or sandwich it between fluffy  steamed buns. With no exaggeration, once you try, you'll fall in love with it. This is called Mei Gan Cai, a specialty from Shaoxing, Zhejiang. Yes, the Shaoxing  of Shaoxing wine. It is made with fermented mustard green, then repeatedly dehydrated and  steamed until it accumulates distinctive, salty, and savory flavors and aromas, which make this  dish additively delicious. You can buy it from the Asian markets. I will link it in the description  as well. You can check it out later.To prepare the Mei Gan Cai, you have to  soak it in clean water for 1 hour. Set it aside and we will move on to the pork belly. Slice it  into ⅓ of an inch thick slabs first. Make sure the skin is on because it contains a lot of gelatin,  which is the key to making the thick sticky sauce. Now, stack the slaps together and dice  them into ⅓ of an inch thick pieces. Set it aside.Turn the heat to high and heat the wok to smoking  hot. Drizzle ½ Tbsp of oil to lubricate the wok. Then add the pork belly. Spread it out and we will  cook it for about 5 minute or until there is about ¼ cup of pork lard is rendered out. You don't have  to stir it constantly, maybe once every minute. Meanwhile, we can throw 3 slices of  ginger, 5 cloves of garlic, 2 shallots, and 3 scallions into a blender and chop finely.  As for now, you should get a generous amount of fat in the wok. Turn off the heat. Push the  pork to the side and let the oil run to one side. Use a spoon to remove some fat so your  dish will not come out too oily.Toss in the chopped aromatics  along with 1 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, and 3 bay leaves. Turn the heat back to medium  and stir until the aromatics are fragrant.Mix it with the pork for a few more minutes.  The bottom of the wok may be a bit tacky due to the added garlic. Don't worry,  we gonna pour in a ⅓ cup of Shaoxing wine and stir to deglaze the bottom. Although  you could use rice wine, but Shaoxing wine makes this dish more authentic. Season it with 4 Tbsps of light soy sauce, 2 Tbsps of dark soy sauce, some ground black  pepper to taste, and 3 Tbsps of rock sugar. Rock sugar is refined, and re-crystalized from  regular sugar. It won't affect the taste, so you can use the same amount of table sugar instead. Pour in 3.5 cups of water. Turn the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil,  turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Since we have plenty of time waiting here, please allow me to promote my carbon steel wok. I have  been using it for 6 years now. It has helped me make over 300 delicious Chinese dishes on  this channel so far, and I will continue to make more because I stand for my own brand - Souped Up  Recipes. I recently just added a new SKU, which includes the wok, a spatula, and a 304 stainless  steel lid with a visualize tempered glass window. So you can view the doneness of the food easily.  Carbon steel wok is the must-have cookware in Chinese cuisine. If you love to cook Asian food,  please consider supporting me and check the link in the description. Thank you. Alright, the pork has been simmered for 40 minutes now. It still needs 1 hour to go. The Mei Gan Cai  should be done soaking. It's very salty so you must pour the water out and rinse it several times  to remove the sodium. By the way, Mei Gan Cai is such a unique Chinese ingredient;  you probably don't see many recipes that use it often. So if you are interested in  learning more dishes to cook with it, let me know in the comment as well. Drain it completely. Make sure you squeeze to eliminate the excess water. Add the Mei Gan  Cai to the pork belly and continue to braise for the rest of the time or until the pork is tender. I will show you how it looks after it is done. Emm smells so good. Let's pick out the spices.  They have done their job. We don't need them anymore. The sauce looks still a bit  thin. We gonna crank up the heat and reduce the sauce until thick. Please be aware that high  gelatin and sugar content sauce burns easily so you must stir constantly. Give it a taste  to adjust the flavor because every brand of Mei Gan Cai and soy sauce has different  sodium levels. Mine is perfect.There are many ways to enjoy  this Zhejiang-style braised pork belly. You can scoop the meat over the plain noodles or white  rice. That looks so nice and luscious. To balance the meal, I like to add a fried egg and a little  bit of blanched green leafy vegetables. When you take a bite, the meat just melts immediately. Then  you get to enjoy the crunchy Mei Gan Cai. The texture is interesting and complex. Even though  the pork belly is fatty, but you don't feel that way at all because Mei Gan Cai does an  amazing job at balancing the fattiness.I also like to stuff it in between  white steamed bun, which you can replace with white toast. Take a bite, emm, it is to die for.  Here is a meal-prepping tip: This is one of those recipes that I like to make a big batch  at the time and portion it into single servings. It stays good in the freezer  for a few months and it reheats really well in the microwave. Whenever I don't  want to cook, I will just take one out of the freezer, and it will be ready in 5 minutes.  I hope you give this a try soon.As always, the printable recipe  link is in the description. Go check it out.Don't forget to like and subscribe to my channel  for more easy and authentic Chinese food.Thank you for watching and I will see you  next time.BYE!\n"