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–+ servings

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 
 

  • 600 g slab skinless pork belly with visible fat-and-lean layers
  • 30 g ginger root
  • 1 Japanese leek (naganegi) green part, or regular leek/onion

Marinade

  • 500 ml pork broth the liquid from cooking the pork
  • 100 ml lager beer or water/sake
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar or white sugar
  • 100 ml Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
  • 4 soft-boiled eggs peeled

To serve (optional)

Instructions 

Part 1

  • Start heating a large pot of water (enough to submerge the pork). When it reaches boiling, reduce the heat 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
  • Transfer the seared pork to a cutting board and let it cool for a few minutes. When it's cool enough to touch, cut it into chunks a little larger than bitesize.
    sealed pork belly cut into smaller pieces on a wooden chopping board
  • Place the pork chunks in the pot of water and simmer for 10 minutes.
    chunks of pork belly simmering in water
  • Drain the pork in a colander and wash it with fresh cold water. Rinse out the pot, refill it with enough water to submerge the pork, and bring to boil once more.
    chunks of simmered pork belly in a mesh sieve
  • Slice 30 g ginger root and break 1 Japanese leek (naganegi) into pieces small enough to fit in the pot. When 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
  • After one hour, turn off the heat and reserve 500 ml pork broth from the pot.
    pork broth in a glass measuring jug

Part 2

  • Pour the reserved broth into a pot 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, then 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 eggs (optional), cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
    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 for 5 minutes before serving.
    shiraganegi (thin slices of the white part of a green onion) soaking in water
  • After marinating, return the pot to the stove and heat on medium until warmed through. Pull the eggs out early to prevent overcooking.
    buta no kakuni simmering with drop lid
  • Dish up and serve with Japanese mustard (karashi). Enjoy!
    buta no kakuni in an off-white dish next to soft boiled eggs and greens topped with shiraganegi

Notes

Keep the liquid at a lazy simmer (around 90°C) with only occasional bubbles "winking" at the surface, never a rolling boil. Boiling tightens muscle fibers and forces moisture out, leaving you with tough, dry pork no matter how long you cook.
Resting the braise allows flavors to equilibrate deeper into the meat as it cools, firms the gelatin so cubes hold their shape during reheating, and gives you the perfect opportunity to lift off solidified fat for a cleaner, brighter-tasting sauce.
Scaling: If you increase the pork, increase the broth in Part 2 accordingly. The meat must stay submerged throughout braising.
Nutrition note: A significant amount of braising liquid remains unconsumed. Nutritional values are calculated based on 25% consumption of the cooking liquid.