Hi, I'm Francis,
the host of this show "Cooking with Dog."
Let's prepare the pork belly.
Cut the pork into one and a half inch cubes.
Put the pork cubes in the heated non-stick pot.
Fry them thoroughly at medium heat.
No need to add oil,
the fat will come out of the pork belly.
Fry the sides of the pork cubes.
Flip them over.
Fry each side of the pork until golden brown.
This process will remove most of the fat from the pork.
This will also prevent the pork cubes from breaking apart
and help them look visually appealing when cooked.
When all the excess fat is removed,
put the pork in a different heavy pot.
Remove the previous pot
and reheat the pork on the burner.
Meanwhile, cut the fresh ginger in half.
Wrap the ginger with a plastic wrap.
Crush it with the side of the knife.
The plastic wrap will keep the ginger pieces from scattering.
Put half of the ginger and the green part of the long onion in the pot.
Pour a generous amount of warm water into the pot.
Heat the pot at medium heat.
When it's boiled, remove the foam with a ladle.
Reduce the heat to low and put a drop-lid on the pork.
Simmer the ingredients for 2 to 3 hours.
When the water level is reduced, pour additional warm water.
Make sure the pork is always submerged in the boiling water.
Drop-lids are also called Otoshi Buta and they help the meat cook evenly.
Remove the drop-lid.
Pierce the pork with a bamboo stick and check if the inside is tender.
Turn off the burner.
Put the pork cubes in a bowl of lukewarm water.
Gently rinse the pork and place on the mesh strainer covered with a paper towel.
Wrap the pork with a paper towel and remove the excess fat and moisture thoroughly.
Let's simmer the pork with the condiments.
Line up the pork cubes on the bottom of the heavy pot.
Choose a small pot over large one to suit the liquid measurement.
Add the sake,
half of the ginger,
kombu kelp
and lukewarm water to the pork.
Heat the pot at medium heat.
When it's boiled, reduce the heat to low.
Put the drop-lid in the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Remove the drop-lid.
Add about one third of the sugar
and soy sauce to the pork.
Even out the stock with the ladle.
Replace the drop-lid and continue to simmer.
Add the sugar and soy sauce in 2 or 3 steps,
otherwise the meat tends to get tough.
When the stock is boiled down like shown in the video,
add the rest of the sugar and soy sauce.
Boil down the stock while pouring it onto the pork.
Gently turn over the pork cubes.
Handle with care as they can easily break into pieces.
Finally, add the mirin to make the surface of the pork glossy and visually appealing.
Scoop the remaining stock and pour it onto the pork.
Boil down a little and let the alcohol evaporate.
Turn off the burner.
Slide the pork cubes to the side.
Dip the soft boiled eggs in the stock.
Let the pork and eggs soak up the stock while cooling down.
Heat the pork and eggs just before you serve.
Cut the boiled green bean pods in half.
Remove the eggs
and cut them in half.
When the meat is warmed up, serve it in a bowl.
Garnish with the egg.
Dip the green bean pods in the stock
and serve them in the bowl.
Add karashi to your taste.
Finally, pour on the hot stock.
A tip to make delicious tender Kakuni is to select a good pork belly
that has clean layers of fat and lean.
Be careful not to boil down the stock too much.
Using a pressure cooker, slow cooker or thermal cooker will help cook the pork belly easily.
Good luck in the kitchen!