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1
Place the pork pieces in a large, heavy pot. Add the ginger, star anise, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Pour over sufficient water to submerge the pork. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat and skim all grey foam from the surface. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook, uncovered, for 40–50 minutes. The broth is ready to proceed when it is amber-coloured, fragrant with star anise, and the pork yields at the edge when pressed with a spoon.
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2
Add the potato chunks to the simmering broth. Continue to cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. The potatoes are ready when a chopstick meets only slight resistance at the centre — they should be three-quarters cooked, holding their shape without crumbling.
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3
This is where the dish lives or dies: add the tofu and the cabbage ribbons and press them gently beneath the surface of the broth. Simmer steadily for a further 20–30 minutes without raising the heat to a rolling boil. The cabbage must become entirely silky-soft and translucent, surrendering all resistance; crisp cabbage means the stew is unfinished.
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4
Add the soaked and drained glass noodles, pushing them beneath the broth. Simmer for a final 15 minutes. The noodles are done when they have absorbed the pork-soy broth and turned from white to a deep amber-brown — they will be the most flavourful element in the pot.
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5
Taste the broth and adjust with light soy sauce if needed. Carry the pot to the table and serve directly from the cooking vessel.