Chashu

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1.2 kg boneless pork belly
• 250 ml soy sauce
• 75 g sugar
• 80 ml mirin
• 80 ml sake
• 4 cm ginger
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• n. B. egg(s)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours 10 minutes; Total time approx. 15 hours 40 minutes

tender, melting braised pork belly for ramen

Preheat the oven to 120°C (top/bottom heat). Roll the pork belly tightly and wrap it with kitchen string. It’s best to use a piece that’s as flat as possible; the Japanese usually leave the rind on. Brown it all over in a pot with rapeseed oil. Deglaze with soy sauce, sake, and mirin, add sugar, sliced ​​ginger, and crushed garlic cloves. Fill the pot with a little water so that the meat is at least half covered. Place the pot with the lid in the preheated oven and braise the pork belly for about 3 hours, turning it slightly every half hour. Then let the pot cool and refrigerate overnight. This will firm up the meat and make it easier to slice. If you like, you can also marinate a few soft-boiled, peeled eggs in the broth overnight. The next day, scrape off the fat from the surface; don’t throw it away; a spoonful of it in the broth tastes delicious. Remove the meat and eggs from the now jelly-like broth and pat dry. Remove the string from the pork belly, cut into thin slices, and briefly fry them in a pan before adding them to the noodle bowl. Note: Don’t throw away the broth; you can freeze it and use it as a base for the next batch of pork belly. Leftover pork belly is also great for freezing.