Flavorful Braised Pork Rice Bowl

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour and 15 minutes Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds pork belly, cut into small pieces
• 4 eggs, boiled and peeled
• Few leaves of iceberg lettuce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 slices of ginger
• 6 star anise
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Couple of dry red chili peppers
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons cooking wine
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1/2 cup rock sugar (or substitute with brown sugar)
• Hot water, enough to cover the meat
• Cooked rice, for serving

Instructions:

1. Cut the pork belly into small pieces.
2. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook the eggs for 12 minutes. Remove the shell and set aside.
3. Boil the iceberg lettuce for about a minute, then remove and set aside.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a pot over low heat. Add the minced garlic, ginger slices, star anise, peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and dry red chili peppers. Cook for a few minutes until the flavors are released.
5. Increase the heat to medium and add the cut pork belly to the pot. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the pork slightly turns brown.
6. Stir in the soy sauce, cooking wine, dark soy sauce, and rock sugar. Add enough hot water to cover the meat.
7. Add the boiled eggs to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes.
8. Once cooked, remove the ginger, star anise, and bay leaves from the pot. Increase the heat to high and reduce the sauce until it thickens and coats the pork.
9. Cut the boiled eggs in half. To assemble the rice bowl, place a scoop of cooked rice in a bowl. Top with a few leaves of boiled iceberg lettuce. Arrange the braised pork belly and boiled eggs on top.
10. Serve the flavorful braised pork rice bowl hot and enjoy!

Notes:

• You can garnish the dish with chopped green onions or cilantro for added freshness.
• If you prefer a spicier flavor, you can increase the number of dry red chili peppers or add a dash of chili oil before serving.
• This dish is best served with steamed rice to absorb the rich sauce.