7/17/22, 10:47 AM Chashu (Japanese Braised Pork Belly) - Just One Cookbook

Chashu (Japanese Braised Pork Belly)

Make this easy, melt-in-your-mouth Chashu pork belly recipe at home! Braised in a
sweet and savory sauce, these tender slices of meat can now top your next bowl of
ramen!

Prep Time Cook Time Resting Time Total Time

20 mins 2 hrs 20 mins 8 hrs 10 hrs 40 mins
4.69 from 208 votes

Course: Main Course, Side Dish Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: chashu, pork belly, ramen
Servings: 8 (to 10 as ramen topping)
Calories: 670kcal

Author: Namiko Chen

Ingredients
For Rolled Chashu (Log) (Serves 8-10)
2-2½ lb pork belly block (roughly 8 inches x 9 inches, 20 cm x 23 cm; if your pork belly still has a rind and
you want to remove it, this video for directions)

1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) (substitute with 1 leek or 2-3 green onions, or a combination)

1 knob ginger

1 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.)

1 cup sake

1 cup soy sauce

2 cups water

⅔ cup sugar

For Non-Rolled Chashu (Block) (Serves 3; this is the original recipe posted on May 2011)
¾ lb pork belly block (if your pork belly weighs 1 lb, see Notes)

1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) (substitute with 1 leek or 2-3 green onions, or a combination)

1 knob ginger

½ Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.)

⅓ cup sake

⅓ cup soy sauce

⅔ cup water

3 Tbsp sugar

Instructions
FOR ROLLED CHASHU (Scroll down for the NON-ROLLED version)
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DAY 1
1. Gather all the ingredients.

To Prepare the Pork Belly

1. Roll up the pork belly, making sure one or both ends has a “bacon-like” appearance, showing the varying
layers of meat and fat. If your slab comes with the rind, it should be removed. Ask your butcher to remove it
for you.

2. Run some butcher twine under the far end of the log. Tie a double knot to secure the pork tightly. Make
sure you leave a tail of about 3 inches (7.5 cm) of twine at the end.

3. Next, tightly wrap the twine around the spot you just tied another 2 or 3 times to secure the starting point
of the roll. Then, pull the twine to the opposite end of the pork belly roll. Tightly wrap the twine around that
end 2 to 3 times to secure it.

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4. Next, start wrapping the twine around the roll back toward the starting point. Space each wrap ⅓ inch (1
cm) apart. Make sure you wrap the roll as tightly as possible.

5. Once you reach the starting point, run the twine under some of the end wraps; this hooks the twine in place
so you can reverse direction. Next, run the twine under 4 or 5 wraps going away from the starting point.
Then, double back toward the starting point, running your twine under the wraps until you reach the
original double knot.

6. Find the 3-inch tail of twine that you left when you started. Tie a double knot with the tail and the long end
of the twine, and cut the excess.

To Cut the Aromatics

1. Cut off the green part of the long green onion and slice the ginger.

To Sear the Pork Belly

1. Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet (or regular frying pan) over high heat. Add the tied pork belly to the skillet.

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2. Sear the pork belly one side at a time, rotating it to make sure all sides are golden brown.

3. It’ll take about 10-15 minutes all together.

To Prepare the Sauce

1. While the pork is searing, put all the ingredients for the seasonings in a heavy-bottomed pot (I used a Dutch
oven) that will fit the chashu.

To Simmer the Chashu

1. Transfer the seared chashu to the Dutch oven.

2. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat.

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3. Once boiling, skim off the foam and scum. Then turn the heat to low/simmer.

4. Put an otoshibuta (drop lid) on top to press the ingredients down and limit the evaporation. You do not
need to use a regular lid to control the evaporation. If you don’t have an otoshibuta, you can make one with
aluminum foil (here’s how to make the otoshibuta).

5. Simmer on low heat, and cover with the otoshibuta at all times for the next 2 hours, turning the chashu
every 30 minutes.

6. The sauce has been reduced. After 2 hours, turn off the heat to let it cool a little bit.

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To Rest the Chashu Overnight

1. Once the meat is slightly cooled, transfer it to a container or a plastic food vacuum-sealing bag, such as one
for the FoodSaver system. Strain the leftover cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer. You will have
roughly 2½ cups of liquid.

2. Add ½ cup of the cooking liquid into the bag. If using a container, add about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the cooking
liquid to the bottom and cover.

3. If using the FoodSaver bag, seal it with a FoodSaver sealer. Tip: Fold a piece of paper towel to plug the
entry of the FoodSaver bag. This paper towel will absorb any extra moisture when you seal.

4. I also made quick Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago) with the leftover liquid. Simply cook and peel soft-boiled
eggs, add them to a bag with ½ cup of the cooking liquid, and close. Cover the cooking liquid, and store the
chashu, ramen eggs, and the cooking liquid in the refrigerator.

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DAY 2
1. Open the bag of chashu.

2. Cut the twine with kitchen shears and remove the twine pieces completely.

3. Slice the chashu into ¼-inch pieces and keep the end piece for Chashu Fried Rice!

4. Place the chashu slices on a ceramic plate and use a propane torch or broiler to sear the chashu slices to
enhance the flavor. Enjoy them immediately or serve on your ramen.

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5. Scoop up and discard the solidified fat from the cooking sauce.

6. Strain the sauce over a fine-mesh sieve to make sure the solidified fat is left behind. Pour the sauce into a
mason jar or container and seal. The sauce will last for a month in the refrigerator. I use it for drizzling over
the chashu and for making stir-fried dishes, marinades, and ramen eggs.

To Store
1. You can store the chashu in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or 1 month in the freezer. I usually divide the
rolled chashu into thirds and freeze 2 portions separately (for ramen right away, and Chashu Fried Rice and
Chashu Bowl for later). Ramen Eggs should be consumed in 3-4 days if they are soft-boiled eggs and 7 days
if hard-boiled eggs. The eggs get saltier the longer you keep them in the marinade, so remove them from the
sauce when they have the right taste.

FOR the NON-ROLLED CHASHU

1. Gather all the ingredients. For small blocks of pork belly (about 1 lb), you don’t need to roll them up before
cooking, and the simmering time is just 1 hour (instead of 2 hours).

2. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet (or regular frying pan) over high heat. Sear the pieces fat-side down first,
then flip them over to sear the other sides, which will take about 10 minutes.

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3. While searing, put all the ingredients for the seasonings in a heavy-bottomed pot (or regular pot) that will
fit the chashu. Add the chashu and bring it to a boil, skimming the scum and foam. Then turn the heat to
low/simmer.

4. Put an otoshibuta (drop lid) on top to press the ingredients down and limit the evaporation. If you don’t
have an otoshibuta, you can make one with aluminum foil (here’s how to make otoshibuta). Simmer on low
heat for one hour, turning the chashu every 15 minutes and keeping an otoshibuta on at all times.

5. After one hour, there is ½ inch of liquid left in the pot. Now, you have 2 options. Option 1: If you’re
serving it right away, remove the otoshibuta and further reduce the sauce on low heat until the sauce
thickens and you can see the bottom of the pot when you draw a line through the sauce with a spatula.
Option 2 (recommended): Transfer the chashu to a container or bag with a little bit of cooking sauce
and refrigerate overnight. Strain the leftover cooking sauce, transfer to a jar, and refrigerate.

6. To serve, slice the chashu into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces. You can use a propane torch or broiler to sear the
chashu slices to enhance the flavor. If you stored the chashu overnight and don’t want to sear the chashu,

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you can reheat it by soaking it in hot cooking sauce.

Notes
For 1 lb Pork Belly (Non-Rolled Chashu for 4 Servings):
1 lb pork belly block (454 g)

1 negi (long green onion) (substitute with 1 leek or 2-3 green onions)

1 knob ginger

½ Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc.)

½ cup sake (120 ml)

½ cup soy sauce (120 ml)

1 cup water (240 ml)

⅓ cup sugar (75 g, 5 Tbsp)

Nutrition
Calories: 670 kcal · Carbohydrates: 11 g · Protein: 12 g · Fat: 62 g · Saturated Fat: 23 g · Cholesterol: 82 mg ·
Sodium: 998 mg · Potassium: 233 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 8 g · Vitamin A: 26 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 12 mg ·
Iron: 1 mg

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