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Northeastern Shazhu Cai (Pig-Feast Stew)
Sauerkraut, pork belly, blood sausage and glass noodles simmered in bone broth — the Northeastern pig-feast stew, sour, rich and built for cold weather. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 杀猪菜, report 72.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 杀猪菜_72.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 50 minutesCook: 20 minutesTotal: 1 hour 10 minutesServings: 2–3Difficulty: MediumRegion: Northeast ChinaFlavour: Sour, savoury, hearty
Why this works
The report's logic is layering: each ingredient enters the pot at the moment it needs, and none earlier. Sauerkraut is soaked, squeezed and fried for three minutes first, because unfried sauerkraut tastes raw and flat; pork belly is boiled to eighty percent done before slicing, so it finishes tender rather than greasy; glass noodles go in with the pork for five minutes, long enough to turn transparent and drink up broth; and blood sausage goes in last, into a rolling boil, for at least two minutes, because it is already cooked but must be heated right through to a safe temperature. The bone broth underneath matters too — the report wants pork bones simmered four hours or more, or a stock-powder stand-in at home — since a thin broth leaves the whole pot tasting flat. Served in a preheated clay pot, it stays bubbling at the table, which is half the experience.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sauerkraut, shredded | 7.1 oz | 200 g | Northeastern-style fermented sauerkraut; rinse and squeeze per steps. |
| Pork belly | 5.3 oz | 150 g | Sliced 3 mm thin after parboiling. |
| Blood sausage, thick slices | 3.5 oz | 100 g | Sliced 1.5 cm thick; buy pre-cooked blood sausage — raw blood sausage is not used here (adaptation). |
| Dried glass noodles | 1.8 oz | 50 g | Soaked 30 minutes in warm water. |
| Bone broth | 33 tbsp | 500 ml | Pork-bone broth simmered 4+ hours, or stock powder dissolved per packet (adaptation). |
| Scallion segments | 0.4 oz | 10 g | — |
| Ginger slices | 0.2 oz | 5 g | — |
| Star anise | 2 pieces | 2 pieces | For parboiling the pork. |
| Salt | 0.1 oz | 3 g | — |
| MSG | 0.1 oz | 2 g | Optional; omit without harm (adaptation). |
| Cooking oil, for frying sauerkraut | 1.0 tbsp | 15 ml | — |
| Scallion greens, to garnish | to taste | to taste | Per the report's plating. |
Equipment
- Large pot or clay pot — a preheated clay pot for serving is traditional but not required (adaptation)
- Instant-read thermometer for checking the blood sausage
Steps
- Prepare. Shred the sauerkraut 2 mm wide, soak in water for 15 minutes, then squeeze dry. Put the pork belly in cold water with scallion, ginger and star anise, boil and simmer until about eighty percent done, about 20 minutes; lift out and slice 3 mm thin. Slice the blood sausage 1.5 cm thick. Soak the glass noodles in warm water for 30 minutes and drain.
- Fry the sauerkraut. Heat 15 ml oil and fry the sauerkraut over medium heat for 3 minutes until lightly golden and no longer raw-tasting. It must be fried through.
- Simmer. Add 500 ml bone broth, bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes so the sauerkraut flavour releases.
- Add pork and noodles. Add the pork slices and glass noodles and simmer for 5 minutes more, until the noodles are transparent and the pork is tender.
- Finish with blood sausage. Turn to high heat, keep the broth boiling, add the blood sausage slices and stir gently without breaking them. Keep at a gentle boil for at least 2 minutes, checking the sausage centre reaches at least 75 °C / 167 °F. Season with salt and MSG, turn off the heat, and serve in a preheated clay pot scattered with scallion greens.
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Technique: Technique: last in, boiling, two minutes
Blood sausage is the safety control point: it goes into a boiling pot, stays at a gentle boil for at least two minutes, and must reach 75 °C / 167 °F at the centre — checked with a thermometer, not guessed. Stir it gently, never vigorously, or the slices break and cloud the broth. And the sauerkraut must fry for the full three minutes: under-fried sauerkraut tastes raw no matter how long it simmers.
Variations
- No blood sausage: the pot still works with extra pork and noodles, but it is no longer shazhu cai — the sausage is definitional.
- Stock shortcut (adaptation): the report allows stock powder in place of 4-hour bone broth; use a pork or chicken stock and season carefully, since sauerkraut is already salty.
Frequently asked questions
Is blood sausage safe?
Yes when bought pre-cooked from a reputable supplier and reheated to at least 75 °C at the centre, as the report requires.
Why soak the sauerkraut?
Soaking and squeezing removes excess acidity and salt, so the pot tastes sour and balanced rather than harsh.
Can I make it ahead?
The broth, pork and sauerkraut can be prepared ahead; add noodles and blood sausage only when serving, so neither overcooks.
Storage
Best eaten fresh. Leftovers keep 1–2 days refrigerated; reheat until boiling throughout and do not reheat more than once. Noodles will soften on reheating.
Northeastern Shazhu Cai (Pig-Feast Stew) — Recipe Card
Sauerkraut, pork belly, blood sausage and glass noodles simmered in bone broth — the Northeastern pig-feast stew, sour, rich and built for cold weather. Adapted
Prep: 50 minutesCook: 20 minutesTotal: 1 hour 10 minutesServings: 2–3
Ingredients: 200 g sauerkraut; 150 g pork belly; 100 g blood sausage; 50 g dried glass noodles; 500 ml bone broth; 10 g scallion; 5 g ginger; 2 star anise; 3 g salt; 2 g MSG (optional); 15 ml oil.
Steps: 1) Soak and squeeze sauerkraut; parboil pork about 20 minutes and slice; soak noodles 30 minutes. 2) Fry sauerkraut 3 minutes. 3) Add broth; simmer 10 minutes. 4) Add pork and noodles; simmer 5 minutes. 5) Boiling broth: add blood sausage, boil at least 2 minutes to 75 °C; season and serve in a heated pot.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 杀猪菜 (data/reports/72.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. The report's ingredient cost table is arithmetically wrong — it prices two star anise at a sum far above any plausible unit price — so all cost figures are omitted. Original poster image: clouchef.com (杀猪菜_72.jpeg).