The first time I knew I was fat was probably in the fourth grade, shopping for jeans at Old Navy and realizing none of the pairs that were the right length had a wide enough waist. I was one inch away from having a pear-shaped panic attack in the dressing room until I tried on a pair in their “Husky” line of sizing. “Husky” is a term that continues to haunt me to this day and why I will probably never go dog-sledding.
– jeffrey
After that, I feel like my weight was a constant source of observation and criticism. One time, my dad said I was so fat I “looked like a middle-aged man.” Looking back on this extremely literal read, I can see now it is a projection of somebody who is unhappy with himself (the middle-aged man in the room at the time). Both my parents have mellowed considerably with age and it’s almost comical how soft their critiques are now, “When you eat rice, maybe eat less rice.” But I think the voice in our head that follows us in life is the one we form in childhood.
As I get closer and closer to middle-age, I wonder if the prophecy was true and I’m starting to resemble the person my dad saw in me. It sort of scares me that people who see me would view me with as much disdain as my dad had in that moment. Not scared enough to stop eating pork belly though…
Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 60 minutes | Total cook time: 75 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork belly (skin on, if available)
- 6 oz shitake mushrooms
- 3 scallions
- 1/2 cup fried shallots
- 3 pieces rock sugar
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder
- 1 Taiwanese braising spices bag (bay leaf, star anise, peppercorn) – optional
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine
Cut the pork belly into lardon size chunks (this is easier to do while the meat is still a little frozen). Cook the meat on medium heat in a dutch oven, slowly rendering out the fat for about 10 minutes. Once some browning starts to occur, strain out excess fat and add in diced mushrooms, chopped scallions, fried shallots, rock sugar, and minced garlic. Add the spices, 2 different soy sauces, cooking wine, and enough water to cover all the ingredients in liquid.
Braise all ingredients on medium-low heat with the lid on for about 45 minutes. At this point, the meat should be tender and the sauce should look somewhat thickened. If it still looks watery, simmer on medium heat without the lid for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve over white rice with blanched Chinese vegetables.