Taiwanese Minced Pork with Pickled Cucumber (Lu Rou Fan with Pickles)

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced pork belly and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and some fat has rendered, about 8-10 minutes.

Drain off most of the rendered fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot. Add the minced garlic and sliced ginger, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.

Stir in the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar, water, and five-spice powder. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and braise for 30 minutes, or until the pork is very tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.

While the pork is braising, prepare the pickled cucumbers if making them from scratch, or chop store-bought ones.

Taste the braised pork and adjust seasoning if needed. The sauce should be savory with a hint of sweetness.

To serve, spoon a generous portion of the braised minced pork and its sauce over 1 cup of hot cooked white rice. Top each serving with 1/4 cup of chopped pickled cucumber.