Pork Kakuni Recipe (Japanese Braised Pork Belly)

sake

🥗Healthier: rice vinegar

💰Cheaper: white wine

Rice vinegar provides acidity, while white wine is more accessible.

pork belly

🥗Healthier: pork shoulder

💰Cheaper: pork butt

Pork shoulder is leaner, and pork butt is often less expensive.

Start by parboiling 3 pounds of pork belly in a heavy bottom pot for 30 minutes to mellow the flavor and pre-shrink it.

Remove the pork belly from the water and set aside to cool.

Save a few cups of the parboiling liquid before washing the pot out.

Once cooled, cut the pork belly into cubes.

Line the pork cubes in a single layer in the pot.

Slice ginger into coins and distribute around the pork.

Cut garlic cloves in half and add them in.

Add 2 cups of dashi, 1/2 cup of sake, 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 3 tablespoons of dark brown sugar to the pot.

Ensure the pork is fully submerged, adding some of the saved boiling liquid if necessary.

Bring the liquid to a boil on high heat, skimming off any scum that floats to the surface.

Cover with the lid slightly ajar and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer for 1.5 hours.

While the pork is cooking, soft boil some eggs and peel them.

After 1.5 hours, check the pork; it should be tender enough for a fork to slide into it easily.

Transfer the pork to a container, stacking them like Tetris blocks to keep them submerged in the braising liquid.

Use a fine mesh skimmer to remove solids and excess oil from the braising liquid.

Pass the remaining liquid through a fine mesh strainer into the container with the pork.

Once cooled to room temperature, add the peeled boiled eggs to the container.

Cover with a lid and chill in the fridge overnight.

The next day, scrape off any solidified fat from the braising liquid.

Reheat the pork belly in a frying pan with some of the braising liquid over medium heat, turning periodically to reheat evenly.

Boil baby bok choy in salted water with a splash of toasted sesame oil for flavor and shine.

Once the pork is warmed, crank the heat to high and reduce the braising liquid into a glaze.

Add the eggs into the pan and roll everything around to glaze the meat and eggs.

Plate the pork belly, eggs, and bok choy, optionally serving with Japanese hot mustard and rice or as a kakuni don.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens