I don’t know what Hong Sao is, or burnt ends, but this pork belly looks a lot like a Japanese (I think it’s Japanese/Chinese honestly) dish I make. Looking at it makes me want to make it…but I think Costco is closed right now, and I like their pork belly the best…
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The method is the usual for pork belly burnt ends: dry rub cubes (using Salt Lick Original here but salt/pepper work great), smoke at 225 ° until they hit 190 °, braise in pan of sauce at same temp until yummy and sticky.
The “hong sao” part - instead of the usual Southern BBQ sauce and fruit jelly braisiing liquid I used the aromatics for a traditional Chinese Hong Sao Niu Ro: dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, shao shing cooking wine, sugar/honey, ginger, scallions, star anise and a little black garlic.
I think I know exactly which one you mean, it’s one my very favorite things my mom makes! Does it look like this?
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Yes, very similar. Made with ginger, star anise, soy sauce, sugar, green onions, etc…?
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Precisely! 
Yes, my husband loves it, I learned to make it after he kept wanting to go out to eat it and they were charging like 7-8 dollars for 3 tiny pieces. I really like to eat it, but I hate going to the store to buy the meat.
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It can be silly expensive at a restaurant but damn good.
Costco is your friend here, they have excellent pork belly.
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Yeah, that I know…but my Costco is a mad house. We have the cheapest gas around and the worst parking lot ever.
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Costco is my friend. The local supermarkets super overcharge, but Costco doesn’t for tons more food…
At some point we really should get a second fridge 
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I really love Costco…but getting in and out of it is a nightmare. When the toilet paper nightmare was going on, you couldn’t even drive in the vacinity of Costco because the roads were clogged with traffic. Pre-covid, I averaged 45 minutes to get gas every time I needed it. I started going at 5:30 am, just so I can get in a 15-20 minute gas line. For the first couple months of the stay at home order, the gas lines were so empty, it was nice, but I couldn’t go in the store, the lines to get in were so long. Now everything has returned to normal and it’s chaos all around now.
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The local Mennonite store has big eggplant for a buck a piece, along with some nice red bell peppers. The green chilis are showing up in the store also. Next Monday I will fire up the grill and roast all these goodies. I love to make babaganoush this time of the year.
No grilling tonight. I still have smoked pork and stir fry to eat. Although I did have to go buy some more jasmine rice for tonight.
You all cook great!
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I made more today after grilling them up… and a lasagna… with rice noodles and ricotta made out of tofu. Also half of it has caramelized onions on top.
And this morning was making the Tempeh
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I have really been curious about Nattō. Have you made that?
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Personally I think that Rambo should have a monster truck to drive over the costco line of cars.
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No, I watched a video that made it seem not like rocket science and ordered all of the stuff from Amazon directly from this person’s links.
Then I watched another video of somone incubating it inside of the instant pot on yogurt mode, so that is the method I’m using, we will see in about 48 hours…
At the local health store they sell a few tiny slices of it for $6.50, so I really can’t go wrong experimenting.
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Oh wait a minute you mean something completely different, no I haven’t tried that, but now I am.
I just ordered natto starter from eBay shipped from Ireland. Wheee.
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One of the advantages to living in southwest Missouri…$1.69 a gallon gas with no lines.
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I was at the gas station when I read your post. Costco gas is closed today for the holiday, so I just paid 3.39 a gallon. Costco would’ve been 2.97.
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Thanks!!! Have to give that a try!!
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Wow. California prices always amaze me. $1.89 here. About $1.69 if I’m willing to drive across town.
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When we first moved here 9ish years ago, the gas was 5 dollars a gallon. So, remembering those days, my husband always exclaims how cheap gas has gotten…but I always remember the last time I went to the pump, and how much more expensive it’s gotten. The early pandemic days, gas broke below the 2 dollar mark for the first time since I moved here…that’s what I’m remembering.
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