Japanese chashu gets its name from the bright red Chinese barbecued pork known as char siu you know, the stuff you see hanging in windows or stuffed into steamed bao?,and it probably came to Japan from China around the same time that ramen itself did.
Ingredients
2 pound slab of boneless pork belly, skin-on
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup sake
1 cup mirin
1/2 cup sugar
6 scallions, roughly chopped
6 whole garlic cloves
One 2-inch knob ginger, roughly sliced
whole shallot, split in half (skin on)
Cooking Instructions
Lay pork belly on cutting board and roll up lengthwise, with skin facing out.Using butchers
twine, tightly secure pork belly at 3/4-inch intervals.
Preheat oven to 275°F. Heat 1 cup water, soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, scallions, garlic, ginger,
and shallot in a medium saucepan over high heat until boiling. Add pork belly (it won’t be
submerged). Cover with a lid left slightly ajar. Transfer to oven and cook, turning pork
occasionally, until pork is fully tender and a cake tester or thin knife inserted into its center
meets little resistance, 3 to 4 hours.Transfer contents to a sealed container and refrigerate until
completely cool.
When ready to serve, remove pork belly and strain broth. Reserve broth for another use (like
making ajitsuke tamago). Slice pork belly into thin rounds (it might help to cut it in half
lengthwise first).Reheat pork belly slices in soup broth with noodles and other garnishes.
Alternatively, heat a small amount of reserved broth in a skillet and heat pork slices in broth
until hot or reheat with a blowtorch, charring its surface. Serve.
