In memory of Peter

 In loving memory of my brother-in-law Peter. 

Chinese New Year Cake

Celebrate Chinese New Year! 'Fu' means luck. Placing character 'Fu' upside down is a tradition to symbolize it 'pouring out' or 'arriving. The Chinese word for 'fish' sounds exactly the same as the Chinese word for 'abundance' which means having more than you need of something. It symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

Braised Pork Belly Square - Dong Po Style(东坡肉)

DongPo Pork is a well known dish from Huangzhou, where I went to high school. It was named in honor of Dongpo Su, a famous poet from Song dynasty.

Ingredients

Pork belly - 2 lb.

Cooking wine - 2 TBSP + 1/3 cup
Soy sauce - 4 TBSP
Dark soy sauce - 2 TBSP

Rock sugar - 4 TBSP

Ginger - 10-12 slices

Green onion - 2 stalks

Dried date - 6-8 (optional)

Steps

1. Put pork belly in sauce pot with cold water, 2 TBSP cooking wine, cook for 4-5 minutes.

2. Cut the pork belly in 2x2 inch square, and pan fry the pork belly at medium low heat until brown on all 4 sides (not top and bottom)

3.  Tie each piece with twine. This is to prevent the meet from breaking apart during cooking. It is also for the signature look of this dish. 

4. Add 4 TBSP rock cany and 5 TBSP water in a sauce pan, use low heat to melt and caramelize it until light brown.

6. Layer the bottom of a cast iron pot with ginger slices, green onion and date. Place the pork belly squares in with skin facing down. Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar water, cooking wine, and then enough warm water to cover the meat.

7. Cover and cook at medium high heat for 30 minutes. Then open and flip the pork belly squares. Cover and cook in low heat for another 45 minutes or until the chopstick can poke into meat easily. Open the cover, turn to high heat to reduce the sauce, 

8. Serve warm with rice or noodle.