Smoked Pork with Axone

Ingredients

• 800 g smoked pork belly, cut into 3 cm cubes
• 3 tbsp axone (fermented soybean), roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 20 g Naga ginger or root ginger
• 2 fresh king chillies, slit, or 4 green chillies
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 400 ml water
• 3 spring onions, chopped

Before you cook

• Rinse the smoked pork in warm water to wash off surface ash, pat it dry and cut it into 3 cm cubes.
• Chop the axone roughly and crush the garlic cloves.
• Pound the ginger coarsely in a mortar.

Steps

1. Put the pork cubes into a dry heavy pot over medium heat with no oil.
2. Cook for ten minutes, turning the pieces, until enough fat has rendered out to coat the base of the pot.
3. Add the crushed garlic, chilli powder and salt and fry for two minutes.
4. Pour in the water, cover the pot and simmer for thirty minutes until the pork is tender but still has a chew.
5. Toast the black sesame seeds in a dry pan for three minutes until they start to pop.
6. Pound the toasted sesame coarsely in a mortar.
7. Stir the pounded sesame and the chopped axone into the pot.
8. Simmer uncovered for twelve minutes until the liquid reduces to a thick, dark gravy that clings to the meat.
9. Add the slit king chillies and the pounded ginger and cook for three minutes more.
10. Scatter over the spring onions and serve with a large bowl of steamed rice.