Rinse the pork thoroughly. Cut the limes and mix with 1 tablespoon salt in water, then soak the pork in this mixture to clean it well. Cut the pork into 5 thick slices. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add one smashed shallot, and once boiling, add the pork. Since the pork is already cleaned, there shouldn’t be any scum.

To check if the pork is cooked, use a knife to cut into it—do not poke with chopsticks, as this can spoil the meat when soaking in fish sauce. Once cooked, rinse the pork with water to remove excess fat, so the fat won’t seep out during soaking. Then, put the pork back into boiling water for a second time, squeeze in a little lime juice and add 1 teaspoon salt, stir the pork, then remove and let it cool completely.

Bring the fish sauce to a boil, add the sugar and 1 tablespoon salt, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Once dissolved, stop stirring so the scum doesn’t mix in. When the fish sauce boils, turn off the heat and skim off any scum. Let the fish sauce cool. When the pork is cool, pat it dry with a clean towel, then arrange the pork slices in the jar. Once the fish sauce is cool, strain it and pour it over the pork in the jar, then add the chili peppers. Seal the jar and leave it at room temperature for 4 days to let the flavors develop. Do not refrigerate, as this will make the pork firm and less tasty.