Add the pig ears, rock candy, thin soy sauce, celery, lemongrass, dark soy sauce, cilantro root, galangal, black pepper, bay leaves, pandanus, star anise, cinnamon and salt, to taste, to a medium stock pot along with 3 cups water. Quickly bring to a boil, and then immediately turn down to a simmer. Cook the pig ears until soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour, and then transfer to a cooling rack to dry out in fridge. Discard the stock.
Once dried out, snip the ears into 1-inch strips using kitchen scissors.
Heat oil to 325 degrees F in a large saute pan. Deep-fry the strips, working in batches if necessary, until crispy, about 3 minutes.
Serve with sweet black Chinese vinegar as a dipping sauce.
This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional. It has not been tested for home use.