Good morning, Chef B! Are you ready to teach the secrets of authentic Thai red-braised pork today?

Good morning, Manager A! Of course, I'm excited to show you how to make the perfect blend of spices and achieve that juicy texture.

Great! Let's start by preparing the ingredients together. I see you have some shallots and garlic. How finely should we chop them?

For the shallots, we want them small enough to caramelise nicely, so we'll dice them. As for the garlic, mince them as finely as possible.

Okay, got it. I'll pass you the diced pork belly now. How many pieces do we need?

About 5-6 pieces per person should be enough. And remember to score the fat with a cross-hatch cut, so that it renders down nicely.

Noted. Shall we move on to the spice mix?

Sure. We need cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, and a tiny bit of clove. Crush them slightly and put them in a cheesecloth bundle.

That smells amazing already! We also need some tamarind juice, palm sugar, and fish sauce, right?

That's right. The tamarind gives the sourness, while the sugar balances the flavors. The fish sauce adds that umami kick.

This is starting to get me hungry. How long should we simmer the pork for?

2-3 hours over low heat should be perfect. That's when the meat will be fork-tender and infused with all the fragrant spices.

Wow, I can't wait to try it. Shall we move on to the side dishes now?

Sure thing. We'll make some stir-fried morning glory and some sticky rice. For the morning glory, we'll just blanch it and stir-fry with garlic and oyster sauce.

Sounds simple enough. And how about the sticky rice?

It needs to be soaked overnight and steamed for about 20-25 minutes. Then, let it rest for another 10 minutes to get that perfect texture.

I think I'm getting the hang of it. Thanks for showing me all of this, Chef B. It's been a fun and delicious learning experience.

My pleasure, Manager A. It's always great to share our culinary knowledge and passion with others. And remember, the key to good food is always putting your heart into it!