Salted Pork Bone Soup

SALTED PORK BONE SOUP

In the winter, we desire Salted Pork Bone Soup, a comforting home-cooked meal.

This is an exceptionally satisfying dinner with the addition of glass noodles (you can use mung bean noodles, sweet potato starch, or even cooked rice!).

If you’ve never had this soup, I’m sure your family will adore it.

HOW TO USE OUR SALTED PORK BONE RECIPE

A great way to make use of the Chinese Salted Pork Bones we featured a few weeks ago is in this delicious salted pork bone soup.

For this dish, you could use standard unsalted pork neck bones. However, the salted pork bone adds so much flavor in such a short time that you have to try it yourself.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil(or any neutral oil)
• 2 lb. of salted meaty pork neck bones (cut into 2-inch/5cm pieces)
• 8 1/2 cups of water
• 3 slices of ginger (about 2-inches/5cm long, ⅛-inch/0.3cm thick)
• 1.75 oz. of mung bean vermicelli (about 1 bundle; can substitute with thicker sweet potato glass noodles or about 1 cup cooked rice)
• 1 lb. of napa cabbage (or greens of your choice)
• salt to taste
• ground white pepper to taste
• 1 scallion (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup of cilantro (coarsely chopped)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook the soup in a hot pot until the bottom is barely smoking. Reduce the temperature to medium. Salt pig bones are laid out in a single layer on the bottom of a pan, then add 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté the bones till light golden brown on all sides, being careful not to burn them since this will result in bitter soup.
2. Boil the water using a separate pan while the meat is browning. When the meat is done, add the boiling water to the soup pot.
3. To quickly bring the soup to a boil, turn up the heat to high and cover the pot tightly with the lid. Add the ginger slices, cover, and simmer for 1 12 to 2 hours on medium heat. You can also use dried conch or scallops and the liquid they were soaked in along with the ginger if desired.)
4. Vermicelli made from mung beans or sweet potatoes should be soaked in cool water before being added to the soup. Cooking isn’t going to be necessary for a long period of time.
5. Rinse the napa cabbage well (or the leafy green of your choice). Cut the cabbage into bite-sized pieces and remove any extra water.
6. Add the napa cabbage after 1 1/2 to 2 hours of simmering. You must raise the soup’s temperature to high so it can reach a rolling boil. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, covered, over medium heat, until the cabbage is soft (or if using a more tender leafy green like bok choy, cook for 1 to 2 minutes).
7. You can add cooked rice or potato starch noodles if you choose not to use glass noodles at this point.
8. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh white pepper to your liking. Add the mung bean vermicelli, onions, and cilantro just before serving. Serve the soup hot, straight from the pot.