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a piece of round beautifully golden brown quick-torched chashu pork on a plate

Chashu (Japanese Braised Pork Belly For Ramen & More)


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  • Author: Kelly
  • Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 to 10 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This tender Chashu pork belly recipe is so easy to make at home and it’s the perfect topping for your next slurpy bowl of homemade Tonkotsu ramen. Braised in a sweet and savory mix of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and aromatics, this Chashu recipe is for all the pork belly lovers out there like us — and it’s so delicious you can use it for chashu bowls, pork buns, or just tuck it between two slices of bread. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 to 3 pounds pork belly, skin removed (1 to 1.5kg)
  • 1 cup soy sauce (236g)
  • 1 cup mirin (236g)
  • 1 cup sake (236g) (sub Shaoxing wine)
  • 2 cups water (470g)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (100g)
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed (20g)
  • 6 scallions, cut in half (100g)
  • 1 knob of ginger (15g)
  • 1 shallot, skin on sliced in half (optional but recommended)
  • 1 leek white part only, sliced in half (20g) (optional but recommended)
  • 1 to 2 dried shitake mushrooms (optional but recommended)


Instructions

  1. Make the chashu braising liquid. To a large pot, add all of the ingredients (except the pork belly) and slowly start to heat it stirring to dissolve the sugar. 
  2. Tie the pork belly with twine & sear (optional). While the chashu braising liquid is heating up, roll the pork up into a circle and tie it with butcher’s twine to secure it. Repeat several times to make sure the pork belly is rolled as tightly as possible and secure. Add 1 tablespoon of neutral cooking oil to a preheated cast iron skillet (or another heavy-bottomed skillet) set over medium-high heat and add the rolled pork. Sear the outside turning as needed until all sides are golden brown. *Searing is optional but produces a great flavor and seal in the juices.
  3. Braise the pork belly. Place the pork belly into the braising liquid, cover it with a lid, and bring it to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer on the lowest setting for 2 1/2  to 2 3/4 hours basting and turning the pork over every 30 minutes until the sauce is reduced and the meat is tender. Remove the pork to a platter and strain the braising liquid skimming off most of the fat (save it for another use or discard). Place the pork into a container or bag and pour just enough cooled braising liquid over it to mostly immerse the pork. Save the remaining braising liquid to drizzle over rice, or to make ramen eggs. Once the pork and brine have cooled for about 1 hour, twist the bag to remove any air and place it in the refrigerator overnight. 
  4. Slice & reheat the chashu. Remove the chashu from the refrigerator and the braising liquid and pat dry. Using a very sharp knife, make thin or thick slices of chashu and reheat as desired by either pan-searing, adding it to reheated braising liquid until warmed through, or using a kitchen torch to sizzle both sides, and Enjoy!

Notes

  • Look for the most uniform meat-to-fat ratio pork belly and remove the skin before rolling and/or braising the meat.
  • For a lower sodium pork chashu, reduce the soy sauce to 1/2 cup. The pork still tastes great, but isn’t quite as salty.
  • You may use sake or Shaoxing wine interchangeably in this recipe. 
  • Play around with the addition of the aromatics (garlic, ginger, scallions, etc.) if you want.  It’s not an exact science so there’s plenty of room to play around as long as you keep the liquids in the same proportions.
  • You can braise chashu pork in the oven. Place the pork belly lying flat (fat side up) into a baking dish or dutch oven, pour the braising liquid over it, cover tightly with aluminum foil (or dutch oven lid), and slowly braise it in a preheated 325°F/162°C oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until tender. Proceed with the remaining directions.
  • You can reheat sliced pork chashu 3 ways:
    • use a kitchen torch to sear it on both sides
    • pan-sear it in a skillet on both sides until warmed through
    • reheat the strained braising liquid and add sliced chashu to the pot until warmed through
  • Use the leftover chashu braising liquid to make ramen eggs instead of the mirin-soy mixture called for. It’s delicious and saves you time and the expense of the ingredients.
  • Use leftover chashu braising liquid for all kinds of things: to pour over rice, added to soup, or mixed in with a little mayonnaise to make a nice Asian-inspired mayonnaise for pork buns.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 150 minutes
  • Category: Meat + Chicken
  • Method: Braised
  • Cuisine: Japanese

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 slices
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