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1
Soak the dried shrimp in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and reserve. Slice the pork very thin — each slice should be no thicker than 2 mm, so that it will cook in seconds at wok heat. Slice or tear the napa cabbage into rough pieces. Slice the rice cakes if not pre-sliced.
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2
Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add the rice cake slices and blanch for 1–2 minutes until their surface softens and turns just pliable. Drain immediately. The rice cakes should yield slightly to pressure but hold their shape — this is the test that they are ready for the wok.
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3
Heat the wok over the highest available flame until it begins to smoke. Add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the pork slices in a single layer and leave undisturbed for 10–15 seconds, then toss. The pork is done when it loses all pink colour — at wok heat this takes no more than 30 seconds.
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4
Add the drained dried shrimp and stir briefly until fragrant, then add the napa cabbage. Toss over high heat until the cabbage is just wilted but retains some structure — it should glisten and collapse slightly at the edges while remaining pale green at the centre.
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5
Add the blanched rice cakes. This is where the dish lives or dies: the wok must remain at maximum heat throughout. Toss constantly, keeping the rice cakes moving so they do not bond to one another or to the wok. If they begin to stick, add water or stock in small increments — a splash at a time — to generate steam and loosen them. The rice cakes are ready when each piece is separate, lightly coloured at the edges, and carries the char of wok hei.
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6
Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Toss to coat evenly. Taste: the seasoning should be savoury and rounded, the rice cakes firm and distinctly chewy — not gluey, not crumbling. Serve immediately from the wok.