Cải Chua Xào Heo Quay
Cải Chua Xào Heo Quay·(kai choo-ah sow heo kway)
Tận Dụng: Next-Day Frugality & Leftovers
After a celebration, the fridge inevitably groans under styrofoam clamshells of day-old heo quay—crispy roast pork that has lost its magic. But in the frugal, capable hands of a Vietnamese grandmother, this heavy leftover is reborn. Tossed in a blazing wok with ferociously sour fermented mustard greens, a splash of soy, and a pinch of sugar, it becomes a sharp, crunchy, and unapologetically porky masterpiece. It is the ultimate cure for palate fatigue, engineered to hit the table in fifteen minutes flat.
Before you start
Tame the mustard greens.
Straight from the jar, pickled mustard greens are fiercely salty and sour. Rinse them under cold running water two to three times, then use your hands to wring them out aggressively like a wet towel.
Ingredients
- crispy roast pork belly1 lb
- pickled mustard greens14 oz
- tomato1 med
- shallots2 large
- garlic3 cloves
- neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
- soy sauce2 tbsp
- oyster sauce1 tbsp
- sugar1 tbsp
- MSG or mushroom seasoning1/2 tsp
- Thai bird's eye chili1 med
- scallions2 stalks
- black pepper1 tsp
Method
- 01
Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat until shimmering, then add the minced shallots and garlic.
Sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant, then toss in the tomato wedges and stir-fry for two minutes until they just begin to soften and release their juices.
- 02
Crank the heat to medium-high, add the wrung-out mustard greens, and sprinkle the sugar directly over them.
Stir-fry vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes to mellow the fermented funk of the greens and evaporate any lingering water in the pan.
- 03
Drop the pieces of roast pork into the wok along with the soy sauce, oyster sauce, MSG, and sliced chili.
Toss continuously for 4 to 5 minutes to heat the meat through, render a little fat, and coat everything in the savory sauce without entirely waterlogging the crispy skin.
- 04
Turn off the heat, toss in the scallions, and finish with a heavy dusting of black pepper.
Serve immediately alongside massive bowls of steaming hot jasmine rice.
Notes
Buy the pork, do not roast it.
The grandmother's secret to this 15-minute meal is simply buying a pound of roast pork belly from a local Asian BBQ deli rather than making it from scratch.
Embrace the chewy skin.
In an American mindset, we want crispy things to stay entirely crispy, but in this homestyle dish, it is right and good when the pork skin softens slightly on the edges while absorbing the sauce.