Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium heat until shimmering. Sear the pork skin-side down until it starts to turn golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, cloves and star anise and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.

Step 3

Stir in the brown sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the soy sauce and vinegar and stir to combine. Add the pork back to the pot skin-side down and cover with water (about 10 cups). Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook until the pork is tender and easily shredded with a fork, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Step 4

Meanwhile, place the eggs in a medium pot and cover by 2 inches with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, immediately turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the eggs sit in the hot water for 3 minutes. Drain the water and submerge the eggs in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Peel the eggs and cut 4 to 5 small slits into the whites of each egg. Refrigerate the eggs until needed.

Step 5

Remove the pork from the pot and set the pot over high heat. Bring the liquid left in the pot to a boil and reduce by half or until thickened, about 30 minutes (you should have 4 cups of liquid left). Add the eggs to the pot and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes so the sweet and salty sauce gets into the yolks of the eggs. Strain the sauce into a bowl or gravy strainer and skim off the fat. Slice the pork and spoon the sauce over the top. Serve with the eggs on the side.