Sweet Soy–Braised Pork (Babi Kecap)

This savory-sweet braised pork, called babi kecap, is a celebratory dish from Bali, the only Hindu-majority province in the Muslim-majority country of Indonesia. In traditional recipes, kecap manis, or Indonesian sweet soy sauce, supplies rich, dark color as well as salty-sweet notes; we approximate the flavor with a combination of regular soy sauce, molasses and brown sugar. Pork belly or neck often is the cut of choice for babi kecap, but we opted for easier to find but equally tasty pork shoulder or butt. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and sambal, if you wish to add a little heat at the table.