Last Updated on December 17, 2021 by Simon Fan
Meigan cai (霉干菜, 梅干菜), a type of dried fermented vegetables, is a specialty from the city of Shaoxing, the birthplace of Shaoxing wine.
Although several types of vegetables can be used to make meigan cai, mustard greens produce the best quality. Making meigan cai is a lengthy, laborious process. The mustard greens are sun-dried until limp, then salted and fermented for 10 to 15 days; after that, they go through several rounds of sun-drying and steaming until they’ve turned red-brown or dark brown and developed a rich aroma and xian (umami) taste, somewhat reminiscent of dried mushrooms.
A versatile ingredient, meigan cai brings its distinctive flavor to steamed dishes, braises, and stews. While Braised Pork Belly with Meigan Cai is arguably the most famous dish featuring this amazing ingredient, it also works wonderfully with fish, shrimp, chicken, tofu, and bamboo shoots, to name a few.
In this dish, meigan cai lends layers of flavor to the sweet butternut squash. Ground pork adds richness to the dish, but it can be omitted for a vegetarian version.
You’ll need to soak meigan cai to rehydrate it and remove grit and dirt. Here, I’m soaking it in two steps: in cold water for 5 minutes to clean, then in boiling water for 15 minutes to soften. The soaking liquid, a flavorful broth with a beautiful red-brown color, is used in the dish too.
In China, you can find whole heads of meigan cai in the markets. Outside China, you’re more likely to find it pre-chopped in packets at Chinese grocery stores. It can be called by many names, such as dried preserved mustard greens, dried marinated mustard, or salty dried vegetable. The best way to be sure is to look for the Chinese characters for it on the package. Do not confuse meigan cai with mui choy (see my post here), a fantastic preserved vegetable used often in Hakka cuisine.
Steamed butternut squash with meigan cai and pork
Ingredients
4 oz (115 g) ground pork
Marinade
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon potato starch or cornstarch
1 oz (30 g) meigan cai
½ cup (120 ml) water
11 oz (310 g) peeled and seeded butternut squash
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions
- In a bowl, mix the pork with all the marinade ingredients.
- Soak the meigan cai in cold water for 5 minutes to remove grit and dirt, then transfer it to a colander. Rinse under cold running water and drain well. In a small saucepan, combine it with the water. Bring to a boil, cook for 10 seconds, and then transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl. Soak for 15 minutes, then take out the meigan cai and squeeze to extract excess water back to the bowl. Cut it into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces. Reserve the soaking liquid.
- Cut the butternut squash into ¼-inch-thick (6 mm) rectangular pieces, about 2 inches (5 cm) long and 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
- Heat a wok or skillet over high heat until hot, then swirl in 2 teaspoons of the oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the meigan cai and stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer it to a plate. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the wok and add the pork. Stir-fry, breaking up any lumps, for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, return the meigan cai to the wok, and stir until well combined.
- Arrange the squash pieces neatly in a heatproof deep plate (or 2 plates if using a 2-tier steamer). Strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into the plate, and scatter the meigan cai-pork mixture on top of the squash.
- Steam over high heat until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with soy sauce or salt as needed, and serve right away.
