Pork Belly Kakuni
An exquisite masterpiece of Japanese slow-cooking. Giant, fatty cubes of premium pork belly are braised low and slow in a sweet soy, ginger, and star anise broth until the meat becomes buttery and the fat turns into literal jelly.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Pork belly skin-on, block cut
- 2 cups Water
- 1/2 cup Soy sauce
- 1/2 cup Sake
- 1/4 cup Mirin
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- 2 inches Fresh ginger sliced
- 1 Star Anise optional
- 2 Hard-boiled eggs peeled
- Karashi Japanese mustard
Instructions
- Sear the Pork: Cut the pork belly block into large 2-inch chunks. Heat a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear the pork belly chunks on all sides until deeply browned and the fat is rendered. Pour off the excess fat.
- First Boil: Cover the pork with fresh water and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 45 minutes to tenderize the meat and remove impurities. Drain the pork carefully and wipe the pot clean.
- The Braise: Return the boiled pork to the pot. Add the 2 cups of water, soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, sliced ginger, and star anise. Bring to a gentle boil.
- Slow Simmer: Turn the heat down to low. Drop the peeled hard-boiled eggs into the broth. Cover the meat with a drop lid (Otoshibuta). Simmer incredibly gently for 1.5 to 2 hours until the pork is soft enough to cut with chopsticks and the liquid has reduced into a thick, dark, glossy syrup.
- Serve: Carefully transfer the delicate, melting pork and the dark stained eggs to a shallow bowl. Spoon the thick, sticky braising liquid over the top. Serve with a dab of sharp Karashi mustard.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!