Written By: Kieu Anh Nguyen
center cuts in perfect squares / all rib bones removed / I rub some coarse salt to dehydrate the skin / before the dry rub/ this old darkened flesh / split by a layer of fat / is clearly old sow meat / years of breeding / still has her teats intact / long curly black hairs / cuticles still unplucked from the skin / I'll take this blade / and scrape off the hair too / cull any stray bits / I smother the meat with five spice and a bit of garlic powder / perforating the rind with a spiked flail / I’ll fire this in the hot coals / of the brazen bull / at 250°C for 1 hour / puffs of steam / cracks and pops / escape the cage / / I let the slab of pork belly rest for 20 minutes / clogged arteries and heart disease / curdling into lard / I cleaved the pork / on the cutting board / into / bite / size / chunks / crunchy skin gnashes against back molars / juices slick the mouth / pale white bolus swallowed / into the back of the throat
Kieu Anh Nguyen is an emerging writer based in Meanjin. She writes essays and poetry. She explores themes of locality, culture, gender and domestic labour drawing from her everyday experience as a food service worker. Her writing has appeared in ScratchThat Magazine and Good Ari Magazine, with work forthcoming in HOISZN, Cryptic Curlew and Hate Mail Magazine.
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