Buta no Kakuni is a common Japanese homecooked dish. Tender, slow-cooked pork belly in a rich soy based glaze then served with soft boiled eggs and spring onion, this flavourful recipe is guaranteed to melt in your mouth.

Japanese braised pork belly, buta no kakuni with ramen eggs

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What is Buta no Kakuni?
Tips and tricks to make melt-in-your-mouth kakuni
Step by step recipe

What is Buta no Kakuni?

Buta no Kakuni (豚の角煮) is a mouth watering slow cooked dish made with tender pork belly that has been cut into cubes and simmered in a sweet and savoury sauce. Because the meat is very fatty and cooked low and slow, the result is extremely tender and delicious.

The word "buta" (豚) is the Japanese word for pig, then "kaku" (角) means square or cube and "ni" (煮) means to simmer.

The origin of this method/dish was supposedly inspired by "Dongpo pork" in Chinese cuisine.

Japanese braised pork belly, buta no kakuni with ramen eggs side view

Kakuni as a regional dish

It is pretty interesting to know that buta no kakuni is thought to be a regional dish, associated mostly with the Kyushu region and the island of Okinawa in southern Japan.

In Nagasaki Prefecture kakuni is known as "toubani" and can be bought in vacuum sealed bags and given as souvenirs from the region. Kagoshima (Satsuma region) has "tonkotsu" that uses meat on the bone, and finally in Okinawa, there is "rafutei" that uses meat with the skin on.

Although all these dishes mentioned are regional foods from the south, buta no kakuni is a common dish cooked in homes all across Japan.

Japanese braised pork belly, buta no kakuni with mustard

What to eat with Kakuni

Buta no kakuni is most commonly served with soft boiled eggs, spring onion (the white part is cut into thin shreds we call "shiraganegi") and Japanese mustard.

It's common to serve it with blanched spinach or some kind of greens for some colour.

I also recommend serving it with rice. Some people make donburi (rice bowl) or steamed buns using kakuni!

Tips and tricks to make melt-in-your-mouth kakuni

The ultimate goal for buta no kakuni is to achieve a melt-in-your-mouth type of softness. That's basically the way we measure how good the buta no kakuni is.

So here, I will share some tips and tricks to achieve this goal!

Searing the pork before simmering

Browning the meat on each side before simmering is one of the most important steps in making buta no kakuni. Not only does it help lock in the juices, but it also improves the flavour and appearance of the pork.

Pre-boil

Another important step in making good pork kakuni is pre-boiling, in other words, boiling it once and then changing the water.

The purpose here is to remove the excess fat so that we can make the meat tender. Pork belly has a lot of fat, but the best part of kakuni is to enjoy the melted fat. So, by pre-boiling the meat, you can remove the excess fat and only enjoy the tasty parts.

Even if you're not a fan of fatty meat, I'm sure you can make an exception for kakuni!

I usually pre-boil the kakuni for 10 minutes and then wash it under cold running water before cooking.

Japanese braised pork belly, buta no kakuni with ramen eggs close up

Prevent air touching the meat

One of the reasons why the meat might become tough is because the surface of the pork dries out during the simmering process. Exposing any part of the pork to the air can cause it to harden or dry out. Make sure it's always submerged in the liquid and add more water if necessary.

Use an "Otoshibuta" (drop lid)

You can trap the moisture by using a drop lid, making the pork more tender. It will also seal in the flavour, so it's best to place the drop lid after adding the condiments.

There are many kinds of drop lids, you can find them made from wood, stainless steal or silicone. Alternatively, you can make your own drop lid using baking parchment or foil. You can learn more about how to make and use drop lids on my post, "How to make Otoshibuta".

Simmer

Slow cooking is key for making a tender and delicious buta no kakuni, so it's important to keep it on a simmer at a lower heat. Make sure to check your kakuni from time to time to ensure it doesn't boil.

In the worst case, boiling will make too much liquid evaporate. Not only will the pork overcook and become tough, but also the bottom could burn and become bitter.

It's time consuming, but low and slow is really key to making succulent buta no kakuni.

Cooling

After the initial simmering, I recommend allowing the pork to cool in the broth. Not only does this allow the meat to absorb more flavour, but you can also use this time to soak your soft boiled eggs and make flavoured eggs.

Take the eggs out before heating again, however if you want to warm them through, add them back in the broth for 5-10 minutes before serving to avoid overcooking the yolks.

Adding honey

One secret ingredient for buta no kakuni is honey.

Honey has the property of tenderizing the meat and it also makes the meat look nice and shiny.

Japanese braised pork belly, buta no kakuni held with chopsticks

Step by step recipe

Japanese Braised Pork Belly (Buta no Kakuni)

Author: Yuto Omura
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
Yield: 2-3 portions 1x

Print Recipe

Description

How to make tender, melt in the mouth buta no kakuni (Japanese braised pork belly.)

Instructions

Part 1

Start heating a large pot of water (enough to submerge the pork). When it reaches boiling, turn down to a simmer.
Heat a frying pan on medium/medium-high and sear the pork belly on all sides.
Once seared, transfer the pork to a chopping board and let it cool for a few minutes. When it's cool enough to touch, cut it into chunks.
Place the chunks in the pot of water and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes have passed, pour the pork into a colander and run it under cold water to clean it.
Fill the pot up with enough fresh water to cover the pork and bring to a boil once more.
While you're waiting for the water to heat up, cut the ginger into slices (leave the skin on) and break the Welsh onions into halves or thirds so that they fit inside the pot.
Once the water is boiling, turn it down to a simmer and add the pork, Welsh onion and fresh ginger.
Simmer for one hour on a low heat.

Part 2

Once an hour has passed, turn off the heat and transfer 500ml (2 cups) of the pork broth to a new, smaller pot.
Add 100ml beer, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp light brown sugar and 100ml soy sauce and turn on the heat. Once it's boiling, turn the heat down to simmer and add the pork.
Place a drop lid on top of the pork and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
When 30 minutes are up, turn off the heat and leave to cool for at least one hour. You can add soft boiled eggs at this point. (Once cooled you can keep it in the fridge.)
Heat on medium for 30 minutes before serving. Remove the eggs after 5-10 minutes to prevent overcooking.
If you want to garnish with "shiraganegi", cut the white part of a Welsh onion into thin strips and soak in cold water with a pinch of salt until serving.
Dish up and serve with Japanese mustard.
Enjoy!

Notes

This dish is quite time consuming so I recommend making a large batch so you can use it for multiple meals.

If you increase the pork in the recipe, increase the broth in part 2 accordingly. (It needs to be submerged and you might be able to get away with using less broth depending on the size of your pan.)

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooling time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 2 hours
Category: Meat
Method: Simmering
Cuisine: Japanese / Chinese

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Japanese Braised Pork Belly (Buta no Kakuni)