Garlic Pork Fried Rice

Peel the garlic and slice it thinly. Remove the core, as it burns easily.

Cut off the tip of the green onion and slice it thinly crosswise.

Cut the pork belly into bite-sized pieces.

In a small pot, combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a 2:1:1:1 ratio, then heat and mix together.

Once the seasoning comes to a boil, lower the heat and add the pork belly. Be careful not to let the meat become tough, and gently simmer while breaking it apart so it doesn't stick together, until cooked through. Once cooked, turn off the heat and let it sit until cool to let the flavor soak in.

Add the lard to a frying pan and heat until it melts to some extent.

Lower the heat, add the sliced garlic, and fry slowly over low heat to bring out its aroma. Once the garlic turns golden and fragrant, remove it before it burns. Then heat the pan over high heat.

Once the pan is sufficiently heated, add the eggs and immediately add the warm rice. Keeping the pan close to the heat source, break up the rice and spread it thinly, frying it so it sears against the bottom of the pan. Repeat this several times until the rice becomes fluffy and separated.

Once the rice and egg are mixed and fairly fluffy, quickly season with salt and pepper. Lightly dissolve the Chinese seasoning paste in sake or water, add it, and mix together to return a little moisture to the rice, making it fluffier.

Once the fried rice and seasoning are mixed, add the garlic chips set aside earlier and the thinly sliced green onion, and mix lightly.

Taste, and if everything is good, plate the rice in a bowl and top with the reheated pork belly to finish.