Eggplant + Pork Belly Ragu

Ingrédients

5-6 Asian eggplants

5-6 Roma tomatoes

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

7-8 cloves of garlic, minced

1 lb pork belly, cut into 1-2” pieces

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp sugar

(2) 14.5oz cans of chicken broth

1/2 bunch of Vietnamese perilla/sesame leaves (tía tô - green leaves with purple underside) - roll and cut into strips

** Dash of red pepper flakes - optional **

Instructions

Cut egg plant into half inch/bite size segments. Soak in salted water for at least 15-20 min. Rinse and add new water at least once around 10min in.

Season pork belly with fish sauce, salt, pepper and sugar. Set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in large pot. Lightly sauté onion and garlic to release fragrance (translucent)

Add pork belly. Cook until no longer pink.

Add tomatoes. Cook until tomato starts to fall apart a little.

Add both cans of chicken broth.

Squeeze excess water from egg plant then add to pot. (Add red pepper flakes)

Bring to boil, stir.

Reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for 40 min.

After 40 min. Stir and add perilla/sesame leaves.

Salt to taste.

Eat over rice.