Steamed cabbage rolls (翡翠包肉)

Method12 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash the four dried shiitake mushrooms, then soak them in 250 ml cold water in a clean covered container in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, until fully softened. Keep the soaking liquid for the sauce.

   Check soaked mushrooms · 480 minUses 4 dried shiitake mushrooms · 250 ml cold water for mushroom soaking

2. 2

   Step 2: Bring a pot of blanching water to a full boil. Add the eight savoy cabbage leaves and lift them out as soon as they wilt, no more than about 20 seconds. Drain them, keeping the hot water for the optional carrot strips.

   Uses 8 savoy cabbage leaves · Water as needed for blanching the leaves and optional carrot strips

3. 3

   Step 3: If using the carrot, peel eight long, narrow strips from it. Blanch the strips in the hot water from step 2 for a few seconds, just until flexible, then drain. Keep the unused carrot for another dish.

   Uses Strips peeled from 1 optional long carrot · Hot blanching water from step 2

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Lift the softened mushrooms from step 1, squeeze out excess water into the reserved soaking liquid, and chop them finely. Keep the liquid separate for the sauce.

   Uses All 4 softened mushrooms from step 1

5. 5

   Step 5: Mix the chopped mushrooms from step 4 with the ground pork, finely chopped scallion (1 stalk), light soy sauce (2 tsp), five spice powder, sugar (1 pinch) and a dash of sesame oil until evenly combined.

   Uses Chopped mushrooms from step 4 · 200 g ground pork · 1 stalk scallion, finely chopped · 2 tsp light soy sauce · 1 pinch Chinese five spice powder · 1 pinch sugar · 1 dash sesame oil

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Put one-eighth of the filling from step 5 in the middle of one blanched cabbage leaf from step 2. Fold in the sides and roll it into a cylinder.

   Uses 1/8 of the filling from step 5 · 1 of the 8 blanched leaves

7. 7

   Step 7: If using carrot ribbons, tie the first roll with one strip from step 3. Use the remaining seven leaves and seven-eighths of the filling to make seven more rolls, tying each with a carrot strip if desired. There should be eight assembled rolls.

   Uses First cabbage roll from step 6 · Remaining 7 blanched leaves · Remaining 7/8 of the filling · Up to 8 optional blanched carrot strips

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Steam the assembled rolls now, or cover and refrigerate them for up to 24 hours before cooking. Keep the reserved mushroom liquid refrigerated if cooking later; chilled rolls use the longer steaming guide in step 10.

   Uses 8 assembled raw cabbage rolls · Reserved soaking liquid, if cooking later

9. 9

   Step 9: Fill a steamer with water below the plate level and bring it to a boil. If you have no steamer, use a large covered pot or wok with a small heatproof bowl or support in the middle, water below its top, and a serving plate supported above the water. Use either setup, not both.

   Uses Water as needed in the steamer

10. 10

    Step 10: Put the eight rolls from step 8 on a heatproof serving plate in the prepared steamer. Cover and start timing once steady steam returns. Check freshly assembled rolls after about 10 minutes, or rolls straight from the refrigerator after about 12 minutes; continue steaming until the pork filling reaches 71 °C (160 °F) at the center. Keep the water below the plate and replenish it if needed. Prepare the sauce in the next step while the rolls steam.

    Check steamed cabbage rolls · 10 minUses 8 raw rolls from step 8 · Water as needed in the steamer

11. 11

    Step 11: While the rolls steam, measure 3 tbsp of the reserved mushroom liquid from step 4 into a small saucepan. Mix in the oyster sauce (1 tbsp) and cornstarch (1/2 tsp) until smooth. The remaining soaking liquid is not needed for this recipe.

    Uses 3 tbsp reserved mushroom liquid · 1 tbsp oyster sauce · 1/2 tsp cornstarch

12. 12

    Step 12: Heat the sauce from step 11 over high heat, stirring, and remove it as soon as it thickens. Pour it over the fully cooked rolls from step 10 and serve warm.

    Uses Sauce mixture from step 11 · Cooked rolls lifted from the steaming plate