Juicy and tender pork wrapped in Napa cabbage leaves and shaped into rolls and served with umami sauce is healthy, satisfying, and naturally low in carbs.
It is best to use pork with mixture of fat about 80% lean so the meat won't be tough after cooking
Marinate the filling:
Combine all the ingredients for filling. Use a chopstick to stir in one direction until it forms a paste-like consistency. If the mixture is too dry, add more chicken broth, one teaspoon at a time until you can form a paste. Let it marinate while you prepare other things. You can also let it marinate overnight in the fridge
Prepare and blanch the cabbage:
Choose 12 pieces of large cabbage leaves, preferably about the same size and has nice green leaves on top. Use a knife to remove the tougher stem at the bottom. It will make it easier to roll later. Don't throw away those stems, they can be saved and included in your next veggie stir-fry or soup
Prepare a large bowl of ice-cold water
Bring about 6 cups of water to a boil. Add about 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of oil to help preserve the color of the cabbage. Cook the cabbage for about 30-40 seconds or until they are soft but not mushy. They have to hold the shape for rolling later
Remove from the pot and put in ice cold water to stop the cooking process
Assembling:
Divide the filling into 12 equal portions. Take one cabbage leaf. Place one portion of the filling and place on a lower third of the leaf. Fold the leaf over and continue rolling up until you form a log. Fold the extra leaves on the side to the bottom. Continue with the rest of the filling and leaves
Steaming:
Bring the water in the steamer to a boil. Arrange the cabbage rolls on a heat-proof plate that is a bit deeper as there will be some juice ooze out during steaming and you want to collect those steaming juice to make the sauce later.
Steam over medium heat for 15 minutes. When it's done, remove the plate from the steamer
Prepare the sauce:
Pour the juice from the plate into a saucepan. Add the seasonings. Add the goji berries last. The amount in the recipe is a guide for you to start with. You may need more or less depending on your taste preference. When you are happy with the taste, combine the cornstarch with water and pour into the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens. Add goji berries. The residual heat will soften the berries. Don't overcook the berries because they turn sour. If the sauce is not thick enough for you, you can always add more cornstarch solution
Pour the thickened sauce over the cabbage rolls and serve immediately as part of a multi-course meal. We usually serve it with plain steamed rice