Chapter 31: Fragrant Braised Pork Belly

Jiang Rou fried two eggs in one go.

Then, she placed the crispy eggs on the cutting board and sliced them into small pieces.

There was still a bit of oil left in the wok from frying the eggs.

Jiang Rou used that oil to stir-fry a few strands of julienned ginger for a moment.

Next, she poured in two large bowls of water and added the chopped eggs.

She covered the wok with a lid and waited for the water to boil.

As the eggs simmered in the clear water, the broth gradually thickened, turning into a milky-white color—just like a rich bone broth.

Once the water reached a rolling boil, she added the soaked wakame.

She let it simmer for another five minutes, then drizzled in a few drops of fragrant sesame oil before taking it off the heat. (Illustration here)

The green wakame, the crispy golden egg pieces, and the creamy white broth blended together perfectly.

Not only was the dish visually appealing, but the aroma was also incredibly enticing.

…

After finishing the simple stir-fried bok choy and wakame egg soup, it was time for the highlight of tonight’s meal—

Braised Pork Belly!

Jiang Rou cut off one-third of the pork belly and set it aside for cooking. The remaining two pounds of pork belly, she tied with string and hung from the kitchen ceiling.

It was still early spring, and the weather wasn’t too hot yet.

For now, storing the pork in a well-ventilated, cool place was still feasible.

However, once the weather warmed up, this method wouldn’t work anymore.

The whole slab of pork belly had three layers of fat and three layers of lean meat—perfectly balanced.

Moreover, the pork of this era was always freshly slaughtered. There was no freezing technology yet, which meant there was no such thing as frozen pork.

Everything was fresh, straight from the butcher.

There was no need to blanch the meat to remove impurities.

Jiang Rou couldn’t help but feel her mouth water at the sight of such high-quality, locally raised pork.

She cut the pork belly into chunks, roughly the size of mahjong tiles.

Each piece was neatly arranged and set aside.

Then, she prepared the essential aromatics—scallions, ginger, and garlic.

But that wasn’t all.

For a perfect braised pork dish, Jiang Rou also needed rock sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, and star anise.

These were the things she couldn’t buy at the supply and marketing cooperative, so she could only purchase them from Tao Duoduo Mall.

Fortunately, these items were not expensive. Otherwise, her two hundred yuan really wouldn’t have been enough.

After everything was ready,

Jiang Rou washed the pot again and lit the fire.

The next step was called “caramelizing sugar.”

It was the most difficult yet most crucial step in making braised pork belly.

She poured cold oil into the pot and added a handful of rock sugar.

Jiang Rou held a spoon and slowly stirred the rock sugar and cooking oil.

As the temperature rose, the rock sugar gradually began to melt, turning into a transparent syrup.

At first, the syrup remained separate from the cooking oil.

The two different liquids did not mix together.

During this process, she continuously and gently stirred with the spoon, drawing circles.

Gradually,

the syrup and the cooking oil began to slowly combine.

Bubbles started to form one after another.

At first, they were small bubbles, then gradually, they became larger ones.

The originally transparent syrup slowly turned into a rich, caramelized jujube-red color.

At this moment,

the hardest part was controlling the heat.

If the time was too short, the caramel color would be too light. When coated on the pork, it wouldn’t develop that enticing soy-sauce-like glaze.

If the time was too long, the caramel color would become too dark and unappealing. Worse, the taste would have a bitter, burnt-sugar flavor.

The mastery of this step relied entirely on a chef’s years of experience and intuition.

Jiang Rou only needed to smell the aroma and observe the bubbles to know that the caramelization was just right.

With swift movements, she poured in the cut pork belly.

Immediately, she began to stir-fry continuously.

At this stage, speed was crucial.

Firstly, to maintain the perfect caramelization and prevent it from burning.

Secondly, to ensure that each piece of pork was evenly coated with a thin layer of oil and syrup, achieving a beautiful, glossy sheen.

After completing this step, she could add the chopped scallions, ginger, garlic, along with the prepared spices and soy sauce.

She continued stir-frying for a short while.

Then, it was time to add water for braising.

The amount of water had to be sufficient—ideally, enough to completely submerge all the pork.

Jiang Rou took some firewood from the stove and adjusted the flames to a low heat.

Inside the covered iron pot, the gentle bubbling sound of boiling broth echoed softly.

This bubbling would continue for an hour.

Jiang Rou could finally take a break.

She stepped out of the kitchen and glanced at the sky. Dark clouds were slowly sinking downward, heavy and oppressive, as if rain was about to fall.

From a distance, she could hear a sister-in-law calling out,

“It’s going to rain! Hurry, bring in the clothes! Bring in the clothes!”

That was how it was in the courtyard. Neighbors always helped each other.

If no one was home but clothes were left outside to dry, someone would step in and bring them inside for you.

Jiang Rou quickly gathered the clothes and bed sheets drying in the courtyard, carried them back to the bedroom, and neatly folded them away.

By the time an hour had passed,

Jiang Rou stepped back into the kitchen, where the rich aroma of braised pork filled the air.

She lifted the lid of the pot, and the bubbling sound grew even louder.

As the thick broth rolled and boiled, each piece of pork had taken on an enticing color, fully absorbing the flavorful sauce.

Jiang Rou picked up a pair of chopsticks and a spoon, tasting the broth to check the saltiness. Then, she sprinkled in a little more salt.

Next, she carefully fished out the spices that had been added earlier, removing them from the sauce.

With a swift turn, Jiang Rou walked over to the stove and tossed the used spice remnants into the fire.

Gone without a trace.

Perfect!

Jiang Rou then added more firewood to the stove, turning the low flame into a high one.

Time to reduce the sauce.

As the steam gradually evaporated, the broth thickened, turning glossy and clinging to each piece of pork, making them glisten beautifully.

Finally, she plated the dish.

A bowl of beautifully colored, richly aromatic braised pork belly was finally complete.

Each piece, when picked up, still had a slight bounce—duang duang—as if it could spring back on its own.

…

By the time the meal was ready and set on the table,

Zhou Chongshan had returned.

He didn’t come back alone—he had brought Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua with him.

“You’re back.”

Jiang Rou heard footsteps, walked to the door, and greeted the man and the two children.

The moment they stepped inside,

a thick, irresistible fragrance filled the air, so rich that it seemed to wrap around them completely.

The enticing aroma instantly awakened their hunger, and their stomachs let out involuntary grumbles.

Even Zhou Chongshan couldn’t help but swallow.

Let alone the two children.

Their dark, round eyes stared straight at Jiang Rou,

as if she herself was a steaming, fragrant piece of braised pork belly.

Zhou Xiaochuan licked his dry lips and furrowed his brows.

“Just wait and see! That woman will never share the pork with you. Not a single piece! That’s what stepmothers are like!”

The sharp, bitter words still echoed in his mind.

As he took in the scent of the food and looked at Jiang Rou, his expression grew hesitant and confused.

Could it be…

she was really going to share the meat with them?

No, it had to be because Dad was here.

She must just be trying to act like a good person in front of him!

Zhou Xiaochuan thought gloomily.

But then, Jiang Rou spoke again.

“What are you all standing there for? It’s time to eat. Go wash your hands, and come inside when you’re done. We’re having braised pork belly tonight—make sure you all eat plenty.”

Zhou Xiaohua’s round eyes sparkled even more at the mention of meat.

Her small hands grabbed onto her brother, her little legs moving eagerly.

“Gege! Wash hands! Wash hands!”

“Wash hands! Eat meat!”

Under Jiang Rou’s care, the little girl had slowly developed the habit of hygiene. She now knew that she had to wash her hands before eating.

Zhou Xiaochuan was caught off guard as his sister tugged him forward, nearly stumbling before he steadied himself.

The two of them went to wash their hands together.

Zhou Zhongshan’s dark eyes watched Jiang Rou, observing the strands of hair that fell at the side of her forehead.

Sincerely, he said,

“You’ve worked hard.”

…

A few minutes later.

The four of them sat in the tidy room, in front of a clean dining table, with two dishes and a soup placed before them.

Bright green bok choy, glistening pork belly, and fragrant seaweed egg soup.

Not only did it smell enticing, but it also had the perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste.

Looking at it made them even hungrier.

Besides that, there was white rice!

Speaking of the rice, Jiang Rou blushed in embarrassment.

“I’m still not very used to the stove. I accidentally cooked the rice a little too long, so it’s a bit dry. Make sure to drink more soup while eating.”

She, a well-known food blogger, had actually failed at cooking plain white rice.

No one would believe it if they heard.

When Jiang Rou served the rice, she scooped the softest and fluffiest portion from the center of the pot for Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua, ensuring the two children ate well.

As for herself and Zhou Zhongshan, their bowls contained rice along with some of the crispy, hardened bits from the bottom of the pot.

Zhou Zhongshan glanced at the bowls and immediately noticed this small detail.

Feeling Jiang Rou’s thoughtfulness toward the two children, his gaze unconsciously softened.

In a gentle voice, he said: “Let’s eat.”