After indulging in so many mammoth feasts this holiday, I always long for simple comfort dishes come January.

“Kecap Manis-Braised Pork” fits that bill with tender chunks of pork and potatoes simmered in sweet, aromatic Indonesian soy sauce known as kecap manis that gets spooned over fluffy white rice.

This simple, homey dish is from “Mortar & Pestle” (Weldon Owen, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Patricia Tanumihardja, a Virginia food writer who was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and grew up in Singapore; and Juliana Evari Suparman, who was born in Bekasi, Indonesia and now lives in Seattle where for many years she operated her own restaurant and catering business.

Because Indonesian cuisine is not nearly as well known as many other Asian ones, the two were inspired to write the cookbook to shed light on their native country, which consists of an astounding 18,110 islands, forming what is the largest archipelago in the world (3.8 million square miles) to form a single state.

Its food has influences from Dutch, Indian, Chinese, Chinese, European, and Middle Eastern cuisines.

At its heart, it is a home-cooked cuisine, Tanumihardja and Evari Suparman write, making these recipes ideal for even newcomers to the cuisine.

Try your hand at “Curry Puffs,” “Tamarind Vegetable Soup,” “Julia’s Chili Crab,” and “Pandan Pound Cake.”

Kecap manis is a thick, syrupy, sweetened soy sauce with an almost molasses-like taste. You can find it on the shelves of large Asian markets such as 99 Ranch. It is what gives this braise its incomparable, deep sweet-soy taste.

For this dish, first marinate chunks of pork belly or shoulder (which is what I used) in the kecap manis and some white pepper.

Then, sear the pork with shallots, garlic and ginger, before adding sugar, water and more kecap manis to form the liquid the meat will braise in.

Halfway through the cooking, add cubed potatoes, as well as hard-cooked eggs, if you like. I would heartily recommend the eggs because not only do they make the dish more substantial, but they also take on the delicious flavorings of the braise.

Enjoy this with plenty of rice for a perfect reset to start 2025.

Kecap Manis-Braised Pork

(Makes 6 servings as part of a multi-course meal)

2 pounds skinless, boneless pork belly and/or pork shoulder, cut into 1-by-2-inch pieces

1/2 cup kecap manis, divided

2 teaspoons ground white or black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 Asian shallots or 4 European shallots, sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

4 (1/4-inch) slices fresh ginger

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/2 cups water

1 pound yellow gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes

1 small yellow onion, sliced

Fried shallots for garnish

Marinate the pork with 1/4 cup of kecap manis and the white pepper in a large mixing bowl for about 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the shallots, garlic, and ginger and fry until fragrant and wilted, about 1 minute. Add the pork and stir and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the salt, sugar, water, and remaining 1/4 cup of kecap manis. The liquid should reach about three-fourths of the way up the pork. Add more water if necessary. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook until they can be easily pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes. If you would like the pork to be even more tender and you have time, simmer for another 15 to 30 minutes before adding potatoes. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired.

When the pork and potatoes are ready, add the onion and remove from the heat. Shower with fried shallots and serve with steamed rice and a vegetable side dish.

Note: If you want to deepen the flavor of the dish, you can add a cinnamon stick, a few whole cloves, or 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, nutmeg or cumin when you add the water to the pot. You can add hard-cooked eggs at the same time you add the potatoes. Leftovers taste even better the next day.

From “Mortar & Pestle” by Patricia Tanumihardja and Juliana Evari Suparman

More Recipes from Patricia Tanumihardja to Enjoy: Asparagus in Coconut Cream Sauce

And: Deep-Fried Tofu Simmered with Tomatoes