Place it in a pot and blanch it until it sets, then remove it to cool. Cut it into pieces with a Chef's knife, secure it with string, and blanch it again until it sets, then prepare for the next cooking step.
First, use a large clay pot, and lay small scallions on the bottom of the pot.
Add ginger slices, then evenly arrange the prepared pork belly in the clay pot. Finally, add yellow wine, rock sugar, light sauce, fermented rice, dark sauce, as well as star anise, cinnamon, white cardamom, bay leaves, and gardenia. Cover the pot!
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 1 hour, then it can be served.
…
Hojo Miyoko couldn't help but twitch her nose.
The unique aroma released by the long stewing of pork belly fat and seasonings instantly made her feel intoxicated!
Looking closely, the Dongpo Pork served in a ceramic bowl shimmered with a red luster, as enticing as red agate.
The shape was neat, and the size and shape of each piece of meat were similar, all square, paired with a layer of dark skin, creating a very layered appearance.
Even looking at it a few times would make one unable to resist swallowing!
"Huh?"
"What's going on?"
"It's only been stewed for an hour, is the meat already this tender?"
Immediately, the greedy Beijo Miyako impatiently used her chopsticks to gently touch the skin of the Dongpo Pork.
Because Dongpo Pork has been slow-cooked for a long time, the meat is already tender and soft. A gentle touch with chopsticks is enough to separate it, and rich gravy quickly overflows from inside the meat!
Then, some of the gravy is absorbed by the lean meat, complementing the fatty and lean parts, making it especially fresh, fragrant, soft, and glutinous!
…
"Ah… mm-mm-mm…"
Despite her shock, Hojo Miyoko didn't think much further. Instead, she picked up a large piece of Dongpo Pork, opened her mouth wide, and took a bite.
With a "plop" sound, her mouth was instantly filled with rich gravy.
But as she continued to chew, she could feel the entire Dongpo Pork's texture: warm, soft, and smooth, with the pork fat being rich but not greasy.
The sauce-colored meat was like a piece of top-grade jade. The rich layers and fragrant aroma immediately spread across her tongue, and the entire piece of meat slowly melted in her mouth, its charming fragrance and deliciousness permeating every taste bud.
And upon careful tasting, she could also discover that the flavor was a harmonious blend of mellow and sweet.
An enticing aroma could instantly stir her appetite, making Beijo Miyako linger.
"What a surprise."
"An Izakaya can actually make such delicious Dongpo Pork."
"Look at this pork belly, the surface is coated with a sugar glaze, making it a bit crispy when you eat it, but once you bite into it, it's incredibly soft and glutinous."
"Its melt-in-your-mouth sweetness lingers on and on!"
"Mmm!"
"It's not greasy at all."
"It's really springy, and the aroma and texture make you want to pick up another piece and put it in your mouth."
As Hojo Miyoko, who had worked in Chinese restaurants and eateries for many years and specialized in Chinese cuisine, she could naturally tell at a single bite just how delicious Sosuke's Dongpo Pork was!
Actually, the slow braising of Dongpo Pork is exactly that—it's about using time to create a delicacy.
Therefore, there's no doubt that this perfectly stewed Dongpo Pork, no matter how delicious or sweet, seemed to not at all conceal the fact that it was, in essence, a piece of fatty pork.
However, for Beijo Miyako.
She wouldn't feel disgusted by this; on the contrary, she found this Dongpo Pork truly delicious.
If paired with fragrant rice, the taste could be summed up in one or two words:
Absolutely amazing!
…
There are many legends about the origin of Dongpo Pork.
The most famous one is from when Su Dongpo was the Prefect of Huangzhou. One winter, he wanted to cook a meal for his friends.
So he bought a piece of pork belly, intending to boil it and slice it for serving, but he was busy writing poetry and painting and forgot to turn off the heat. As a result, all the water boiled away, and the meat became charred and hard.
Su Dongpo felt very ashamed and could only put the meat back into the pot, adding some sauce and sugar, and then slowly simmering it over low heat.
Unexpectedly, the meat became fragrant and delicious instead. His friends praised it after tasting it.
Since then, this dish has spread and was named after his courtesy name, "Dongpo."
At this moment, Beijo Miyako, lost in the experience, took another small bite.
Chewing slowly, the rich sweet and savory flavor instantly filled her tongue.
She only felt the soft and tender Dongpo Pork, drifting in her mouth piece by piece, not getting stuck in her teeth at all. The taste of the fatty meat was interspersed within, soft and smooth, fatty yet not greasy.
Taking another small sip, the flavor became even more intense, and the gravy in her mouth sprayed out, creating a complementary sensation.
…
"This Dongpo Pork…"
"It's fragrant and glutinous yet not greasy, sticky, and lingers between the teeth, truly leaving a lasting taste."
After swallowing, Hojo Miyoko's eyes were filled with excitement.
Good Chinese cuisine was hard to come by in Japan, and perhaps she was truly a bit hungry, so she directly abandoned her elegant eating manners and began to gobble it down.
It must be said that, at this moment, this Dongpo Pork, complete in color, aroma, taste, and nutrition, had completely conquered her heart.
Perhaps, it was precisely this kind of Dongpo Pork that allowed Hojo Miyoko to gradually see through some things.
Not being greasy doesn't mean being ascetic, but rather not being defeated by current difficulties, and always adhering to one's original intention, maintaining initiative, creativity, and a thirst for knowledge.
At this moment, Hojo Miyoko, who had gained some insight, finally felt relieved, and tears unknowingly fell!
"Why?"
"I'm clearly stronger than everyone else."
"But just because I'm a girl, they never dared to let me inherit the Chinese restaurant. Was I wrong from birth?"
"No, I don't want a fate I can see the end of at a glance."
"I will resist to the end, and I will prove to everyone that women are not necessarily inferior to men, and they can also do things well!"
Hojo Miyoko couldn't help but recall her past time at the Chinese restaurant in Osaka, and her eyes inevitably showed unwillingness.
------------------------
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