Dry pot cauliflower

Dry Pot Cauliflower is a restaurant favorite that we’ve had countless times in China. It’s our vegetable of choice when eating out. You might think it sounds boring, but we discovered that cauliflower can be amazingly delicious with a little spice, saltiness and the addition of pork belly.

Recipe type: Vegetables
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 4

Ingredients

8 ounces pork belly, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
¼ teaspoon, plus ½ teaspoon salt (divided)
1 teaspoon, plus 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (divided)
2 teaspoons, plus 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (divided)
1 pound cauliflower
2 tablespoons oil
10 cloves garlic
4 slices ginger, julienned
3 dried chilies, chopped (optional)
½ of a red bell pepper, sliced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
¼ teaspoon sugar
½ cup water
3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths

Instructions

Prepare the pork belly. Marinate it with ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine. Set aside. Wash the cauliflower and cut it into bite sized pieces.
Heat the oil in a wok set over medium heat. Cook the garlic cloves for a minute. Add the ginger and chilies (if using), and cook for another minute. Add the pork, turn up the heat, and cook until the meat turns opaque.
Next, add the cauliflower and red bell peppers. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon ground white pepper, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, ¼ teaspoon sugar, and ½ cup water. Stir, cover, and cook for 1- 2 minutes. (I like more tender cauliflower, so I cook it for 2 minutes.)
Uncover, add the scallions, give it a stir, and serve!