chashu
roll up 2~2 1/2 lb pork belly block
if your slab comes with the skin (rind), it should be facing out (my block didn't come with it)
tie a double knot to secure the pork tightly, make sure you leave about 3 inches (7.5 cm) twine at the end
wrap around the pork belly 2-3 times around the same area to secure the end
then pull the twine to the other end of the pork belly and wrap around 2-3 times at the end area
work toward the middle, each wrap should be a ⅓ inch (1 cm) in between
once you reach the end, run the butcher twine under some wraps to hook and go back to the starting point
find the 3-inch (7.5 cm) twine you left behind and tie a double knot
heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan over high heat
add the rolled pork belly in the pan and sear all sides (about 10~15 minutes total)
sear the pork belly one side at a time, rotating to make sure all sides are nicely seared
cut off one green part of long green onion (use only green part) and slice one knob ginger
in a pot that fits the chashu, add 1 cup sake and 1 cup soy sauce
add 2/3 cup sugar and 2 cups water
add green onion and ginger and bring to boil
transfer the seared chashu into the sauce pot and boil
once boiling, skim off the foam and scum
reduce the heat to low/simmer
place an otoshibuta (drop lid) on top
rotate chashu every 30 minutes for 2 hours
turn off heat and let cook a bit
once the meat is slightly cooled, transfer to a container or plastic food saver bag
strain the leftover cooking liquid over a fine-mesh strainer, the liquid is roughly 2 ½ cup
add 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid into the bag
seal up chashu or place in a zip lock bag
refrigerate chashu and sauce overnight
next day, open the bag of chashu and cut the twine
slice into 1/4 inch prices
place the chashu slices on a ceramic plate and use a propane torch or broiler to sear the chashu slices
enjoy them immediately or serve on your ramen
scoop up the solidified fat from the cooking sauce
prepare a mason jar or container and strain the sauce over a fine-mesh sieve
the sauce will last for a month in the refrigerator
enjoy!
itadaki masu!
easy japanese recipes just one cookbook