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1
Place the whole pork belly in a pot of cold water with one slice of ginger. Bring to the boil over high heat and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the pork under cold running water. The water should run clear and the surface of the meat should be free of grey foam and impurities.
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2
Return the blanched pork belly to a clean pot with 1.2 litres of fresh water, the remaining ginger slices, and the soaked black mushroom together with its strained soaking liquid. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes. The broth should be pale gold and faintly fragrant with pork and mushroom.
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3
Lift the pork belly from the broth and allow it to cool enough to handle. Slice into pieces approximately 5 mm thick. Return the slices to the pot. This is where the dish lives or dies: the suan cai, rinsed once but not stripped of its sourness, is added now. Too little rinsing gives a harsh, vinegary broth; too much rinsing removes the fermented character that defines the dish entirely. Add it to the pot and stir to submerge.
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4
Continue simmering, partially covered, for a further 40–45 minutes. The suan cai should become tender and translucent, and the pork fat should render visibly into the broth, giving it a silky, slightly cloudy appearance.
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5
Add the drained glass noodles to the pot in the final 5–8 minutes of cooking. They are ready when they turn completely translucent and have absorbed the sour pork broth, swelling slightly but retaining a gentle chew. Season with salt to taste.
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6
Bring the pot directly to the table. The stew continues to develop flavour as it sits over residual heat. Serve immediately from the cooking vessel.