Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens (Xuelihong) + Stir Fry

Mustard greens are an essential ingredient in many traditional Hakka preserved vegetables, such as xuelihong, suan cai, fu cai, and mei gan cai. These are all made from the same vegetable—the difference in flavor comes from how long they are sun-dried and fermented.

Today I’m sharing a simple way to make pickled mustard greens (Xuelihong), also known as xuecai or xuelihong. The process is easy: first sun-dry and air-dry the mustard greens, then mix them with salt to soften and begin natural fermentation. This creates a wonderfully fragrant Chinese preserved vegetable that can be stored in the refrigerator for 2–3 weeks.

Stir-fried pork with pickled mustard greens is savory, refreshing, and perfect with rice or noodles. It’s a delicious and easy home-style dish that’s great for everyday cooking!

*Vegetarian friends can substitute tofu or dried bean curd for the pork.

 

Watch step by step recipe video below:

 

 

Ingredients

 

 

 

• 50 g pork
• 20 g garlic
• 10 g ginger
• 1 red chili
• 380 g pickled mustard greens
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1 tsp white pepper powder
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp rice wine
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

 

Pickled Mustard Greens Preparation

 

1. Separate 2.7 kg mustard greens and sun-dry 4-5 hours
2.  Add about 1/3 cup salt, rub until the color changes
3. Place into a clean container
4. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days

 

Stir-fry Process

 

1. After 2 days, remove one serving portion
2. Rinse with clean water a few times to help remove impurities and reduce saltiness
3.  Slice the pork into thin strips.
4. Slice the garlic, ginger, and chili.
5. Chop the mustard greens into small pieces.
6. Marinate the pork strips with rice wine, vegetarian oyster sauce, and cornstarch for 5 minutes.
7. Place the mustard greens into a heated pan and sauté over medium heat to remove excess moisture. Remove and set aside.
8. Heat oil in the pan, add the pork strips, and cook until they begin to change color. Add the aromatics (garlic, ginger, chili).
9. Add the mustard greens, soy sauce, white pepper, and sugar. Drizzle in sesame oil before serving.