Chashu

Braised Pork Belly

For Dahlia’s Enchanted Dinner party this month I made ramen for our guests. This braised pork belly was one of the accompaniments to the dish. Keep in mind you will need to start this recipe at least a day in advance because it will need to rest overnight and marinade. That being said if ramen is not your thing you can also chop into smaller pieces and serve with rice and vegetables.

Ingredients

Pork Belly

• 4 lb (2 kg) of pork belly, skin removed

• 2 tbsp of Judgement

• 2 tbsp (30ml) of neutral oil

Braising Liquid

• 1 cup (250ml) soy sauce

• 1 cup (250ml) mirin

• 1 cup (250ml) alcohol free sake or botanical spirit (I use Seedlip Garden 108)

• 1/4 cup (50g) sugar

• 1 cup (250ml) moon water or spring water

Vegetables

• 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 bunch of scallions, cut into small pieces

• 1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped

Equipment

• Dutch Oven

• Kitchen twine

Instructions

1. Prep the pork belly

   1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Lay the pork belly down fat side up and score the fat, this will help it render down easier. Apply Judgement seasoning on all sides of the pork belly.

   2. Roll the pork belly lengthwise and secure with kitchen twine until you have a nice tight roll.

   3. Prepare the braising liquid, add the soy sauce, mirin, alcohol free spirit, sugar, and water in a large bowl. Whisk until all the ingredients are combined.

2. Brown the pork belly

   1. In a large dutch oven over, heat the oil over medium high heat until the oil is nearly smoking, add the pork belly and sear on all sides for 2-3 minutes on each side.

   2. Remove the pork belly and place on a cutting board to rest.

3. Add the braising liquid

   1. Add the braising liquid to the dutch oven and scrap up the browned bits off the bottom. Once the liquid begins to boil reduce heat down to a simmer, and add the pork back in, nestle the veggies on either of the pork.

4. Braise

   1. Cover and place the stockpot into the oven for 1.5 - 2 hours making sure to rotate about every 15 minutes

   2. After cooking place the pork belly on the cutting board, and let them cool most of the way down.

5. Chill

   1. Place the pork belly into a large ziploc bag or vacuum seal bag and add 1 cup (250ml) of the braising liquid to the bag, seal and remove most of the air.

   2. Refrigerate overnight

6. Fry

   1. Remove the meat from the marinade, cut off the kitchen twine and slice into small 1/4” or 1/2” rounds.

   2. Fry over medium-high heat basting the marinade until the pork is nice and crispy.

7. Rest and Serve

   1. Let rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.

Pairing Suggestions

Drink

• Alcohol removed white wine

• Yuzu ginger fizz

• Plum and peppercorn shrub

Side Dishes

• Kani Salad: Lightly dressed crab meat salad

• Dumplings: Pork and veggie dumplings