Japanese Chashu (Braised Pork belly)日式叉烧 チャーシュー
Chashu is an easy, tasty, and versitle dish. It works as a topping for ramen, noodles or rice.
Equipment
- 10“ stainless steel pot
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds pork belly
- 3-4 cups water
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 3 tbsp rice wine
- 4-5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 piece Kombu (3"x3", optional)
- 3 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)
Instructions
- Trim off any excess fat from the pork belly
- Cut pork belly (either with or without skin) into 4"x4" pieces. No need to be accurate
- Put the pork pieces into the pot. Add cold water into pot until it covers the pork. Put the pot on the oven top
- Turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pork from the water and rinse well with clean water. Rinse the pot to remove scum
- Put the pork pieces to the cleaned pot. Add kombu, sugar, salt, and shiitake. Add water to cover.
- Bring the pot to boil and simmer for 5 mins. Remove the kombu pieces. Scoop any scum. Cover the pot with the lid and continue to simmer for 50-60 mins
- Add soy sauce, mirin, and rice wine. Simmer for another 50-60 mins
- Turn off the heat. Let the pork soak in the soup for a couple of hours
- Take the pork pieces out from the pot. Refrigerate overnight until well-chilled.
- Slice the pork pieces. Pan fry the slices on both sides.
Video
Notes
-Some recipes pan-fry the pork belly before boil/simmer. I skipped this step.
-Some recipes add green onion or ginger root. I think these are optional.
-Kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms are optional.
-In Japan, people use drop-lid when simmer. Again, I didn't follow that practice as I don't want to buy too much cookware.