Pork Belly, Eggplant and Potato Stew

Overview

Most of the customs in the Northeast are related to ethnic groups. Some people say that stew is a way of eating leftover by the nomadic people in the Northeast. This was once the residence of the Mongols, Dajin, Daliao, and Manchus. These nomads lived a wandering life on horseback. A large iron pot was carried on the horseback. Whenever they camped, they had to throw the meat and vegetables into a pot to stew, slowly forming a Northeastern-style stew. Stew is the most common cooking method among Northeastern dishes. This is probably related to the severe cold in the Northeast. When the stew is brought out in a big pot, it is steaming, and it feels warm in the mouth and feels comfortable on the body. Northeastern stew does not require any tedious skills. The vegetables and meat are simply chopped and pushed into the pot. They are paired in pairs, one meat and one vegetable. They are put into the pot together and stewed over high heat. Different things eliminate the boundaries between each other, and truly realize that there is me in you and you in me, completely zero distance. When eating Northeastern stew, you never have to worry about not having enough dishes. It’s served in big bowls and in big basins. In Northeastern dialect, you just have to make it with all your strength. Northeastern people live in a world of ice and snow. In order to resist natural and man-made disasters, they have developed a character that emphasizes loyalty and friendship. Everyone's eating habits of stirring horses and spoons in the same pot have drawn into each other's relationship. The broadness, grandeur, enthusiasm and tolerance of their characters are perfectly reflected in the stew. My husband and I decided to marry in Shandong after knowing each other for 5 years. It is not easy to be together. I have been spoiled since childhood and have worked hard to learn to be a good wife. I began to learn to make various handicrafts to decorate my mood. I began to try various cuisines, such as exquisite Huaiyang cuisine, numbing Sichuan cuisine, and thick and pure Shandong cuisine. Although it is delicious and exquisite, as a native northeastern girl, I have never forgotten the taste of my hometown and the feeling of having relatives and friends sitting around the table. I occasionally make a big pot of Northeastern stew for my husband. Even though there are only two of us, we still enjoy the meal. Eggplant stewed with potatoes is my favorite to make. It is simple, convenient, relaxing, soft in the mouth and full of satisfaction.

Tags

• hot dishes
• beans
• dried chili pepper
• eggplant
• pork belly
• potatoes
• star anise
• sweet noodle sauce

Ingredients

Steps

1. 1 Cut the pork belly into thick pieces, which makes it easier to cut when standing up. My husband is a carnivore, so I put a little more meat in it.

   

2. 2 Some pork belly, 2 eggplants, 2 potatoes, a handful of dried beans (fresh beans can be substituted, but the taste is different), chopped onion, garlic, dried chili, one star anise, salt as appropriate, half a teaspoon of chicken powder, half a teaspoon of thirteen spices, a small spoon of sugar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, bean paste (sweet noodle sauce is also acceptable), and a pinch of coriander.

   

3. 3 Potatoes must be eaten with a spoon, as the damage caused by cutting them with a knife will not taste good

   

4. 4 In the same way, eggplants should also be torn with hands

   

5. 5 Heat oil in a pan, add pork belly and stir-fry out the oil, add chopped dried chili pepper and star anise, stir-fry until the surface of the pork belly is slightly charred,

   

6. 6 Add potatoes and continue to stir-fry

   

7. 7 The next steps are very important, (absolutely original, the result of my own exploration) first: stir-fry the potatoes until the surface is slightly burnt, second: add minced green onions and minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, thirdly add bean paste or sweet bean paste and stir-fry evenly. The order must not be wrong. The potatoes are soft, fragrant, rich and bright in color. If you add the sauce after adding water, the taste will be very different.

   

8. 8 Add the eggplant and mix well. If it feels a little stir-fried, add a small bottle of white wine. After the aroma is brought out, pour a little less balsamic vinegar along the edge of the pot. After the vinegar smell comes out, pour a little less soy sauce and mix well. At this time all the base flavor comes out.

   

9. 9 Add water until the vegetables are completely cooked.

   

10. 10 After boiling the pot, add dried beans (rinse them and put them in the pot right away. Be sure not to soak them in advance. Let them slowly expand in the pot to get a rich flavor). Students who don't like the taste of dried beans can add fresh beans and break them into segments with your hands.

    

11. 11 Add thirteen spices, chicken powder, sugar, less salt, cover and simmer over low heat. At this time, you can go clean the battlefield. Is the stove very dirty? It’s a good time to wipe it while it’s hot.

    

12. 12 During this period, you have to open the lid and rest the pot several times. This is also a little trick I created. If I want the stew to be soft and delicious, I have a trick, which is to use the back of a spoon to scoop out large pieces of potatoes from time to time and rest the eggplant strips. Although it doesn’t look good when it comes out, I don’t like the taste of eggplant or raw eggplant, or the taste of potatoes or raw potatoes. What we eat is the taste. (Purely a personal hobby, purely shared, without any emotional involvement) When the soup is thickened, add a little salt and turn off the heat. Add minced coriander and minced garlic, cover and simmer for a while, then serve in a large bowl and serve in one pot.

    

13. 13 Let’s take a close-up and make you drool.