Vietnamese Caramel Black Pepper Pork (Simple Rice Cooker Version)

Vietnamese home cooking (Thịt Kho) often uses caramel (Nước hàng) to braise meats, resulting in a glossy color and a savory-sweet interweaving of flavors. Slow-cooking in a rice cooker will make the meat tender and flavorful. Main Ingredients: 300g pork shoulder or belly (cut into thick slices), 2 shallots (minced, can substitute with minced onion if unavailable). Seasonings: Fish Sauce: 2 tbsp Sugar (or coconut sugar): 1.5 tbsp (half a tbsp can be dry-fried to a light caramel color, or substitute with soy sauce for color) Soy Sauce: 1 tbsp Coarse Black Pepper: A generous amount of black pepper powder (the soul of Vietnamese cuisine) Water: Half a cup Steps: Marinate: Mix the pork slices with minced shallots, fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, and black pepper, and marinate for 15-20 minutes. Rice Cooker Braising: Place the marinated meat in a deep bowl and pour in half a cup of water. Add 1.5 cups of water to the outer pot of the rice cooker and press the start button. Reduce and Finish: Once done, check if the meat is tender by poking it with chopsticks (if you prefer melt-in-your-mouth texture, add another half cup of water to the outer pot and steam again). Sprinkle a generous layer of aromatic black pepper before serving.