How to make taiwanese salted pork

Like many of my other guides, I do not include exact amounts for the many ingredients.

That is because my aunt cooks using her intuition, and unfortunately for people like me, that doesn't include measuring implements. I hope you understand!

Get yourself a nice slab or pork (this recipe also works with a leaner cut of pork)

Load on generous amounts of salt. Don't be shy! Salt that sucker like you're salting city streets right before a nor'easter.

Temporarily interrupt your salt storm to flip over the meat. And then continue salting.

Look at all that salt! This recipe is not for the faint of heart.

Cover the dish with Saran wrap.

And store it in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Fill a pot with some water- enough to cover the meat.

Take your meat out from the refrigerator.

We're cooking the meat after only a couple hours instead of days. If you wait 3 days, you would find that the meat appears slightly gray- see a little below the chopstick. That's what you want!

If you were short on time like me, you should add about a tablespoon of salt to the water. If you wait 3 days, the pork will be plenty salty and no additions need to be made.

Place the meat in the pot. Notice how the meat is just almost covered with water.

Cover the pot.

Set the stove to high.

Once you hear and see it start to boil ...

It's time to turn the heat down to medium.

And let it cook for about an hour.

While we were cooking we decided that the meat should have been cut in half. It makes cooking easier.

A few minutes into the cooking, and things seem to be going nicely.

After an hour, the pork is ready to be taken out.

Here it is! Ready to be sliced

Let's cut us some pork! But I think my Aunt's hands would be safer a bit further from the knife...

That's better!! :) Safety first, folks.

If desired, a special dipping sauce can be made for the pork.

Get 4 pieces of garlic.

Chop it up finely and place into a sauce bowl.

Add some soy sauce.

And some salt

And sesame oil

And apple cider vinegar

Mix

And set it aside! (Sorry for the low quality image)

This pork can be served in different ways. You could plate it and serve it up family style, or...

you can add some bread (mantou to be exact) and make a plate all for yourself! (For people who didn't opt to make the special sauce, plain soy sauce or soy paste can be used. That's what I did!)

And that's how you can make Taiwanese salty pork. Q.E.D.