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–+ servings

Buta no Kakuni (Japanese Braised Pork Belly)

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 45 minutes
Marinating time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 55 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 4 portions

Ingredients 
 

Marinade

  • 500 ml pork broth the liquid from cooking the pork
  • 100 ml lager beer
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 100 ml Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
  • 4 soft-boiled egg optional
  • Japanese leek (naganegi) white part, optional garnish
  • Japanese mustard (karashi) optional, or hot English mustard

Instructions 

Part 1

  • Start heating a large pot of water (enough to submerge the pork). When it reaches boiling, turn it down to a simmer.
    water in a large steel pot on the stove
  • Heat a frying pan on medium/medium-high and sear 600 g slab skinless pork belly on all sides.
    sealing a block of pork belly in a frying pan
  • 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.
    sealed pork belly cut into smaller pieces on a wooden chopping board
  • Place the chunks in the pot of water and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
    chunks of pork belly simmering in water
  • After 10 minutes have passed, pour the pork into a colander and wash it with cold water. Rinse out the pot, fill it with enough water to cover the pork, and bring to boil once more.
    chunks of simmered pork belly in a mesh sieve
  • Cut 30 g ginger root into slices and break 1 Japanese leek (naganegi) into thirds. Once the water starts to boil, add them to the pot along with the pork, and lower the heat. Simmer for one hour.
    Make sure the pork is always submerged and top up the water if necessary.
    chunks of pork simmering in stock with green onion

Part 2

  • After one hour, turn off the heat and measure out 500 ml pork broth from the pot with the pork.
    pork broth in a glass measuring jug
  • Pour it into a large saucepan and add 100 ml lager beer, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp light brown sugar and 100 ml Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu). Mix and bring to boil.
    buta no kakuni broth in a sauce pan
  • Once boiling, lower the heat to simmer and add the pork.
    chunks of pork belly simmering in buta no kakuni broth
  • Place a drop lid on top of the pork and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
    After 30 minutes, turn off the heat and leave to cool. Once cool, add 4 soft-boiled egg (optional) and marinate in the pot for 1 hour. (You can store it in the fridge if you plan to marinate longer.)
    buta no kakuni simmering with drop lid
  • Return the pot to the stove and heat on medium for about 15 minutes or until warmed through. Remove the eggs after 5-10 minutes to prevent overcooking.
    buta no kakuni simmering with drop lid
  • If you want to garnish with "shiraganegi", cut the white part of a Japanese leek (naganegi) into thin strips and soak in lightly salted water until serving.
    shiraganegi (thin slices of the white part of a green onion) soaking in water
  • Dish up and serve with Japanese mustard (karashi).
    buta no kakuni in an off-white dish next to soft boiled eggs and greens topped with shiraganegi
  • 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.)