Sha Zhu Cai
Sha Zhu Cai (Pig-Slaughtering Dishes) is a traditional Dongbei winter feast originating from the rural custom of butchering pigs before the Lunar New Year. It features pork belly, blood sausage, pickled cabbage, and offal slow-cooked together in one massive pot.
Ingredients
- Pork belly 300 g
- Pickled mustard greens 500 g
- Blood sausage 200 g
Instructions
- 1. Slice the pig against the grain, add cooking wine, soy sauce and starch, mix well and marinate for 15 minutes
- 2. Pour an appropriate amount of cooking oil into the pot and heat it over high heat until it is 70% hot.
- 3. Add the pig and stir-fry quickly over high heat until it changes color.
- 4. Add sauerkraut and continue to stir-fry until cooked through
- 5. Add appropriate amount of salt and a little soy sauce to enhance the freshness, stir-fry over high heat and serve evenly.
- 6. Remove from the pan and serve on a plate
Cultural Notes
Sha Zhu Cai is deeply rooted in Dongbei rural traditions. Before the Lunar New Year, families would gather to butcher a pig they had raised all year, and every part would be used. The resulting feast fed the entire village. While modern versions are simplified, the dish remains a symbol of Dongbei communal eating culture and the philosophy of waste-nothing cooking.