EASY Chashu Pork - WITHOUT ROLLING

As a big fan of Japanese cuisine, I’ve been looking for a way to recreate chashu pork, that tender, flavorful rolled pork belly topping commonly found on ramen bowls.

After watching several chashu recipe videos on YouTube, I found a delicious and fairly simple recipe that doesn’t require a large piece of meat or complicated rolling techniques.

The pork belly slowly cooks in a marinade made of soy sauce, sake, ginger, and spring onions. After about an hour of cooking, you get incredibly tender and flavorful meat. At the very end, the pork is sliced thinly and quickly seared in a pan to bring out braised and grilled notes.

This recipe is mostly used for ramen, but chashu pork is also perfect served over a steaming bowl of rice in a “Chashu Don.” The meat literally melts in your mouth.

Ingredients :

• 450 g pork belly (small to medium piece)

• 1 spring onion, cut into pieces

• 120 ml soy sauce

• 120 ml sake or mirin

• 120 ml water

• 25 g granulated sugar

• A few slices of ginger

• 1 tsp salt

• Oil (for searing)

Searing the meat:

Salt both sides of the pork belly. In a hot, oiled pan, sear the pork belly for about 5 minutes on each side. Use a splatter guard or lid to avoid oil splashes.

Once nicely seared, place the pork belly in a casserole or deep pot.

Cooking:

Pour the soy sauce, water, sake, sugar, spring onion pieces, and ginger slices into the pot.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover the pork belly “touching the surface” with a piece of aluminum foil cut to the pot’s diameter, pierced with small holes to let steam escape.

Let it simmer on medium-low heat, turning the pork occasionally. Cook for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Stop cooking when about a quarter of the sauce remains. It should be thick enough, and you’ll start seeing the bottom of the pot.

Plating:

Using a sharp knife, slice the pork belly thinly. Sear the slices briefly in a pan with a bit of the sauce to caramelize the meat.

Serve over white rice with a soy-marinated soft-boiled egg, spring onions, sesame seeds, and nori seaweed.