How to stew Sibai

Northeastern cuisine is famous for its unique cooking methods and its pursuit of the original flavors of ingredients. It does not overuse seasonings, nor does it lack characteristics due to the mixing of ingredients. Northeastern cuisine uses a wide range of ingredients and has a fresh and rich flavor. Among them, the stews such as pork stewed with vermicelli, chicken stewed with mushrooms, and stewed four-white vegetables are popular all over the country. The stew called "Sibai" sounds very simple just by listening to the name. How is it made?

Overview of Northeastern cuisine

Northeastern cuisine is based on Manchu and Shandong cuisine, combined with Mongolian, Korean, Hui and other flavors. Among them, various stews were invented by the Manchus. In the early years, the Manchus made a living by fishing and hunting, lived in the wild, and migrated frequently. The only cooking utensil they had was a hanging pot, so naturally they had to stew. According to the Qing Palace archives, stews with ordinary ingredients were the staple food of the Qing emperors. There are "eight major stews" in Northeast China, including pork stewed with vermicelli, mutton stewed with sauerkraut, beef stewed with potatoes, spare ribs stewed with tofu, chicken stewed with mushrooms, spare ribs stewed with beans, catfish stewed with eggplant, and Demoli fish stew.

How to stew Sibai

1. Main materials:

Cabbage, tofu, vermicelli, and pork belly.

2. Dosage:

400g Chinese cabbage, 300g tofu, 200g pork belly, 150g vermicelli, 2 star anise, 2 pieces of cinnamon, 1 spoon of pepper, 1 coriander, some auxiliary ingredients: oil, salt, ginger, thirteen spices, chicken powder

3. Steps

3.1. Prepare the raw materials and soak the vermicelli in cold water in advance

3.2. Wash the pork belly, put it into the pot, add water, star anise, cinnamon, pepper, green onion and ginger, and cook until the pork belly can be pierced through with chopsticks, then remove and set aside

3.3. Cut the tofu into thick slices, sprinkle some salt and mix well

3.4. Cut the cabbage into long strips

3.5. Cut the cooked pork belly into large slices

3.6. Heat the oil in a pan, add ginger and star anise

3.7. Add cabbage leaves and stir-fry until moisture is released

3.8. Add cabbage leaves and sprinkle some thirteen spices and fry until the cabbage leaves are transparent

3.9. Add appropriate amount of hot water and broth into the pork belly

3.10. Add vermicelli, tofu, and salt and simmer until the vermicelli is cooked. Do not cover the pot while simmering.

3.11. Sprinkle some chicken powder for seasoning, put into a large bowl and sprinkle with coriander.

Tips

Don't stew the dish for too long, otherwise the tofu will break apart. The soup should be slightly salty so the dish will be just right. Check whether you use potato flour for the vermicelli, as potato flour is more resistant to cooking and will take longer. You can add chicken essence and coriander or not, depending on your taste.