Red braised pork belly

The Goods*:

1 1/2 lb fresh, boneless pork belly with skin

2 in piece of fresh ginger, with skin

2 scallions

3 dried chili peppers (omit for less fire)

3 tbsp peanut oil

2 cups chicken stock**

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine

1 tsp kosher salt

3 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 star anise (4 segments)

Fill a large stockpot three-quarters with water. Set on high heat to boil. When the water is boiling, add the pork belly. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and wash under cold tap water. Drain the water from the pot and dry thoroughly. Cut the pork belly into 2 to 3 inch chunks. Try to include a layer of skin, meat, and fat in each chunk. Crush the ginger with the back of a knife. Slice the scallions roughly into 3 or 4 sections (green and white portions).

Place the peanut oil in the dried stockpot and set on medium-high heat. Just before the oil begins to smoke, add the pork and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining ingredients.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Be sure to keep the pork chunks covered; add a bit more stock if the level drops too much***.

*This is another recipe from Fuchsia Dunlop's Sichuanese cookbook Land of Plenty.

**I cracked and bought prepared stock, but felt less bad as it was from Savenor's. Needless to say, if one has the time and the chicken parts, make the stock at home.

***The liquid will reduce quite a bit, but depending on the size of the chunks and the dimensions of the stockpot, the starting liquid amount may not be enough to completely submerge all of the pork. Also, it might be a good idea to reduce the liquid after cooking to make a thicker sauce.

Korean fusion dan dan noodles

The Goods*:

1/4 lb ground pork

1 handful Asian rice noodles

1 cup kimchi**

2 tbsp peanut oil

1 tbsp chili oil (as seen here, or you know, buy some)

1 tsp toasted, ground Sichuan pepper***

3 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine****

Prepare the rice noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

Place 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil in a wok on high heat. When the oil is hot, add the kimchi. Stir fry for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and place the kimchi in a large bowl. Add the other tablespoon of oil to the wok and place back on high heat. Add the ground pork. Once the pork starts to separate and has started to brown, add the wine and 1 tsp of the soy sauce. Once the pork is cooked, though not dried out, about 3-4 minutes, remove from the heat and add to the kimchi. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and toss with the noodles. Serve immediately.

*I recently finished reading Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper, a food/travel memoir by Fuchsia Dunlop, which I'd recommend if you're into food and/or travel writing, though I'd have to say her reserved British style is a marked contrast from the booze-fueled mayhem of Bourdain. My curiosity was such that I had to race out and purchase Land of Plenty, her Sichuanese cookbook. Needless to say, I'll be trying my hand at some of these recipes in the near future.

**The recipe calls for Ya Cai pickled vegetables and I have cleverly inserted kimchi. I purchased what I THINK are Ya Cai pickled vegetables from the Super 88, but I have no way of fully knowing, as every character on the jar is Chinese. Anyway, this allows me to use some of that glass vat of kimchi chilling in the refrigerator.

***Sichuan peppercorns are a really interesting ingredient. They have a lemony, coriander-like taste and leave the tongue almost completely numb in the aftertaste. I have no idea how available they are; I found mine at Christina's in Cambridge. Dunlop recommends toasting a batch (6 tablespoons at a time) in a dry wok for about 5 minutes and then grinding the peppercorns in a mortar. I would also recommend bumping this down to 1/2 a teaspoon, that is until one is fully adapted to the taste (read: face numbing).

****Here's another fun Chinese ingredient. Imagine sake if soy sauce had a slightly boozier love child.