Chinese “Red Cooked” Pork

Every Chinese family has their own rendition of red cooked pork using a cornucopia of spices ranging from star anise to cinnamon to orange peel. The Vietnamese make a similar dish using coconut water and fish sauce. My mom’s version uses Indonesian sweet soy sauce. For variety, you can add hard-boiled eggs and tofu to the sauce. Or you can substitute chicken or duck. The variations are endless, and there’s no right or wrong way to make this dish. So feel free to create your own version!