Pork Belly with Soy Sauce and Lily Flowers

1. Poke the pork belly skin side with a fork and make sure it goes all the way to the meat side. Do this across the pork belly.

2. In a pot, add 1 cup of water, half of the soy sauce, half of the vinegar, bay leaves, smashed cloves of garlic, whole black peppers, and the pork belly. Turn heat on high and cover pot.

3. When it starts boiling, reduce heat to medium high. Check back after 15 minutes to make sure pot isn’t dry. Then wait again for 15 minutes.

4. After 15 minutes, check pot again. You will notice the liquid has reduced. Add the remaining water, soy sauce, and vinegar. Turn the pork belly over. Turn heat to medium and cover the pot.

5. After 15 minutes, check pot. At this point the skin should be soft and easily pierced by a fork. Add the lily flowers; I actually create a bed of lily flowers for the pork belly to rest on. Turn heat to medium-low (that’s simmer on my stove—I have a glass top electric stove). Cover pot.

6. After 15 minutes, check the pot. Lily flowers should be soft and moist. Turn heat off. The water you added 30 minutes ago should have been reduced.

7. Take out the pork belly and slice. Serve with rice!