Stir-Fried Cabbage with Bacon

Name: Stir-Fried Cabbage with Bacon
Cook time: PT0D0H15M
Total time: PT0D0H15M
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 4 thick bacon slices, cut into ½-in. wide pieces (3 oz.); 2 tsp. finely chopped garlic; 1 lb. green cabbage, cored and cut crosswise into ¼-in. wide shreds (about 8 cups); 1-2 Tbsp. canola oil (optional); 1 ⁄ 2 cup chicken stock; 2 tsp. soy sauce; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

A simple and satisfying Chinese-American stir fry from Tane Chan, owner of San Francisco’s famed Wok Shop.

Serves
serves 4
Time
15 minutes

MAURA MCEVOY

By Grace Young

Published on October 15, 2020

Check out all items from the Saveur 100 »

Tane Chan, owner of San Francisco’s Wok Shop, remembers her mom making this dish at their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the 1940s, using what she could find at an American grocery store to replace the traditional Chinese cured pork belly and Napa cabbage. This recipe is adapted from Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge.

Featured in: The 2020 Saveur 100: 41-50

Equipment

ADVERTISEMENTAD

Ingredients

4 thick bacon slices, cut into ½-in. wide pieces (3 oz.)
2 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1 lb. green cabbage, cored and cut crosswise into ¼-in. wide shreds (about 8 cups)
1-2 Tbsp. canola oil (optional)
¹⁄₂ cup chicken stock
2 tsp. soy sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

ADVERTISEMENTAD

Instructions

Step 1

In a cold, flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet, spread the bacon pieces in an even layer. Cook over medium heat, undisturbed, until the bacon begins to release its fat, about 1 minute, then, using a metal spatula, stir-fry on medium heat until the bacon begins to brown and more fat has been released, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue stir-frying until the garlic is fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the cabbage and continue stir-frying until the cabbage just begins to wilt, 1-2 minutes more. If the mixture seems dry, add 1-2 more tablespoons of canola oil, then swirl in the stock, cover the wok, and steam until the cabbage is just tender, about 30 seconds. Uncover, add the soy sauce, season to taste with salt and black pepper, and continue stir-frying until the cabbage is tender and the juices are mostly reduced, about 1 minute more, then transfer to a wide bowl and serve.

In a cold, flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet, spread the bacon pieces in an even layer. Cook over medium heat, undisturbed, until the bacon begins to release its fat, about 1 minute, then, using a metal spatula, stir-fry on medium heat until the bacon begins to brown and more fat has been released, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue stir-frying until the garlic is fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the cabbage and continue stir-frying until the cabbage just begins to wilt, 1-2 minutes more. If the mixture seems dry, add 1-2 more tablespoons of canola oil, then swirl in the stock, cover the wok, and steam until the cabbage is just tender, about 30 seconds. Uncover, add the soy sauce, season to taste with salt and black pepper, and continue stir-frying until the cabbage is tender and the juices are mostly reduced, about 1 minute more, then transfer to a wide bowl and serve.