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Celebrating a milestone in the culinary industry, these couple of beloved dishes embody a perfect balance of roots and creativity. As fall approaches, rich tastes like those in braised pork rice become particularly welcoming. Meanwhile, daikon tots offer a crunchy and surprisingly enjoyable snack that began as a serendipitous kitchen experiment.

Taiwanese Braised Pork (Yields 4)

This beloved recipe involves a two-stage technique to create tender meat that soaks up savory seasonings.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooling Time: 4+ hours
Cook Time: 180 minutes

For the Poached Pork

• 500g pork belly
• 2 teaspoons rice wine
• 2cm ginger root, lightly crushed
• half a garlic clove, minced

Stew Components

• small amount vegetable oil
• diced shallot
• 3 teaspoons soy sauce
• red pepper
• star anise pod
• 7.5ml rice wine
• 3.75ml sweet rice wine
• garlic, minced
• apple wedge, peeled
• ½ inch ginger root, bashed
• scallion piece, split
• ¼ tbsp vinegar
• cinnamon
• ¼ tsp soy glaze
• Steamed rice, for serving

First preparing the meat. Add the pork belly in a saucepan filled with cold water, bring to a boil, and boil for a short time. Take out the pork and get rid of the water.

Put the pork skin side down in a clean pan, pour in enough water to submerge, then add the cooking wine, ginger, and crushed garlic. Heat until boiling, then lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the pork is firm and the skin looks clear. Take off the heat and let the pork cool in its cooking water for at least four hours, optionally through the night, covered and chilled.

When ready, take out the pork from the poaching liquor and slice it into pieces, skin and all. Strain the broth and keep it.

Next, heat the oil in a pan with a cover over medium heat. Stir in the diced shallot and pork pieces and cook carefully, stirring often, for roughly 10 minutes, until the shallot softens. Pour in 4.2 fl oz of the reserved broth and each of the additional seasonings except the dark soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle boil, seal, and braise for 2 hrs, adding more with poaching liquid if needed.

Lift off the lid, stir in the soy glaze, turn up the heat to medium, and cook for 20 more minutes, until the sauce concentrates and turns shiny.

Enjoy over plain rice – the fatty sauce blankets the kernels ideally. The key is to avoid overcooking the fat overly, so the pork softens in the mouth while keeping its shape.

Daikon Tots

Plan to begin these the day before.

Prep Time: 5 min
Freezing Time: Overnight
Cook Time: 40 min
Makes: 10 to 12 pieces

• 850g daikon, peeled and shredded
• 3.2 oz all-purpose flour, plus ¾ cup extra for dusting
• 1⅓ tsp sea salt
• beaten eggs, mixed
• 7 oz crispy crumbs
• 2 cups vegetable oil, for deep-frying

24 hours ahead, put the shredded radish in a large skillet over medium heat and cook for roughly 15 minutes, until most of the liquid is reduced. Add up to 100ml water to achieve a balanced mixture, turn down the heat to simmer, then mix in the 90g flour and the salt until thoroughly mixed.

Line a rectangular mold with plastic wrap, then spread in the daikon mixture so it's an consistent 2.5 cm deep. Place the tin in a steaming basket, and steam over moderate heat for 30 min (check the water level to prevent boil dry). Lift out the tin, set aside to cool completely, then cover tightly and place in the freezer overnight.

The next day, take out the daikon tin from the freezer and let it thaw at counter temperature for 10 min, just until pliable enough to cut. Unwrap, lift out the slab of daikon and cut it into 1 inch bits – these are your cubes.

Prepare a coating setup with the remaining 3.5 oz flour, whisked eggs, and crispy coating in individual bowls. Cover each tot initially in flour, dip it in the egg (switching one hand), then into the panko (alternating the other hand; this keeps the crumbs from building up).

Preheat the oil – enough to immerse the tots – in a large pan to 320F (or until a ginger piece fries and browns in 20 seconds). Fry the tots in batches for 120 seconds each, rotating them lightly for even coloring, then take out and rest on absorbent paper to cool completely.

Raise the heat a little and bring the oil to 375F (or until a cube of ginger fries and darkens in 10 sec). Deep-fry the tots a second time, in batches, this time for 60 seconds in total, until golden and crunchy – the two-stage frying ensures a crispy shell and a gooey center. Remove thoroughly and serve hot with your chosen condiment; tasty options include chilli sauce or spicy oil.