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–+ servings

Japanese Chashu Pork (Braised Pork Belly for Ramen)

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 10 minutes
Marinating time12 hours
Total Time14 hours 20 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 6 portions

Ingredients 
 

Part 1

  • 700 g slab skinless pork belly with a good balance of fat and lean meat
  • 50 g Japanese leek (naganegi) green part
  • 50 g ginger root thickly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic whole and peeled
  • 100 g onion roughly cut
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar

Part 2

Instructions 

Part 1

  • Take 700 g slab skinless pork belly and pierce both sides with a fork. 
    2 pork belly blocks pierced on a wooden chopping board
  • Dry the pork belly with a paper towel and roll. Start with the thinnest side and roll it up, secure with string or meat netting. (See video for how to tie with string.)
    2 pork belly blocks rolled and wrapped with butchers string nets
  • Place the pork into a deep pot, fill with cold water until the pork is just about submerged. (It's okay if the highest part is slightly poking out the top.)
    Two rolls of pork belly simmering in a large pot of water
  • Turn the heat on a medium-high setting and bring the water to a boil. If any scum floats on the top, scoop it out.
    Scooping out the scum from simmering pork belly using a mesh spoon
  • Once it's boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and add 50 g Japanese leek (naganegi), 100 g onion, 50 g ginger root, 3 cloves garlic and 1 tsp rice vinegar. 
    pork belly simmering in a pot with green onion, garlic cloves, onion and ginger
  • Place a drop lid on top (see post for how to make your own drop lid) and then allow to simmer on a low heat for 1 hour.
    chashu simmering in a pot with a drop lid
  • Once the time has passed, remove the drop lid, carefully flip the pork over onto the other side and place the drop lid back. Simmer for another hour.
    turning the pork belly simmering in stock
  • After the time is up, turn off the heat, remove the pork from the broth and place it in a large ziplock bag.
    simmered pork belly cooled and placed in a zip lock bag

Part 2

  • Scoop 250 ml pork stock leftover from the pot and pour it into a saucepan.
    homemade pork stock in a sauce pan
  • Add 50 ml sake, 1 tbsp mirin, 150 ml Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and 30 g sugar to the pan and boil for 1 minute.
    pork stock mixed with Japanese condiments to make chashu marinade
  • Turn off the heat and leave it to cool slightly. Once cooled, pour it into the ziplock bag with the pork. Seal the bag and marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours (preferably overnight).
    rolls of cooked pork belly soaking in a chashu marinade in a sealable freezer bag

Part 3

  • Heat a frying pan on a medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add the pork belly to the pan and lightly char the outside. Keep turning the pork to make sure all the edges are evenly charred.
    sealing the surface of the chashu in an iron pan
  • Transfer the pork to a plate and pour 100ml of the leftover chashu marinade into the pan.
    heating chashu marinade in an iron pan
  • Allow the sauce to thicken slightly and place the pork back in.
    coating chashu in thickened marinade in a pan
  • Keep turning the pork to coat the surface with the glaze. Once fully covered, remove it from the pan and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.
    chashu coated in thickened marinade in a pan
  • Remove the rope or net and then cut the chashu into slices.
    thick slices of homemade chashu on a wooden chopping board
  • Enjoy with ramen or on rice as chashu donburi!

Notes

  • Remove the ginger, spring onion and garlic at the end of the simmering time and store leftover pork stock in the fridge for up to 1 week or 1 month in the freezer. You can use it for soups and broths.
  • You can soak boiled and peeled eggs in the ziplock bag with the leftover broth to make ramen eggs. Scoop out the pork fat before adding the eggs.
  • The chashu pork can be kept in the fridge for 3 days or 1 month in the freezer. I recommend slicing it first for convenience.
  • Rolling the pork belly is for decoration and is optional. You can still make delicious chashu without rolling it. If you don't roll it, reduce the cooking time to 45 minutes on each side. (1 hour 30 minutes total)
  • Repurpose chashu end cuts for chahan fried rice or chashu rice bowls.
  • Use a cast iron pan instead of non-stick for final searing to achieve better caramelization.
  • For a quicker and easier alternative, try my oven-baked version of pork chashu.