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Skillet Night
Asian 2 min read

Five-Spice Pork and Cabbage Skillet

Five-spice pork and cabbage skillet browns ground pork with crisp cabbage in a savory soy-ginger sauce in about 25 minutes. Fast Asian weeknight dinner.

Ground pork and cabbage cook fast and cheap — Chinese five-spice makes them smell like takeout without a dozen bottles. This skillet browns the pork, wilts the cabbage, then finishes with soy and ginger.

Serve over rice or in lettuce cups. Dinner is ready in about 25 minutes.

Ingredients

Pork and cabbage

  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil
  • 1 lb (454 g) ground pork
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 4 cups (280 g) shredded green cabbage
  • 1 medium carrot, julienned or shredded
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp (8 g) grated fresh ginger
  • 3 Tbsp (45 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) hoisin or oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • Cooked rice or lettuce cups, for serving

Method

  1. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork with salt and five-spice; cook 5–6 minutes until browned and crumbly.
  2. Add cabbage and carrot; cook 3–4 minutes, tossing, until cabbage wilts but still has crunch.
  3. Push mixture aside; add garlic and ginger 30 seconds. Stir everything together.
  4. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin, and sesame oil; toss 1 minute until coated and glossy.
  5. Scatter green onions. Serve over rice or in lettuce cups.

Cook's note

Five-spice is aromatic — a teaspoon is plenty for a pound of pork. Bagged coleslaw mix works if you skip the carrot.

What to serve with it

Steamed rice, cucumber slices, or chili oil. Lettuce cups make it feel lighter without extra cooking.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Shred cabbage up to 1 day ahead. Leftovers keep 3–4 days; reheat hot and fast so cabbage does not go limp. Freeze cooked pork (without cabbage) up to 2 months.

Troubleshooting

**Too fragrant/bitter?** Cut five-spice to 1/2 tsp next time. **Watery?** Cook cabbage uncovered on higher heat so moisture evaporates. **Salty?** Use low-sodium soy and taste before adding more.