Slow-Simmered Japanese Pork Belly (Kakuni)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 140 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Kakuni falls apart along the grain at the touch of a chopstick, the result of thick pork belly cooked in soy sauce, mirin, and ginger over the lowest heat until even the fat layer turns translucent.
Read more
Chilling it overnight and lifting off the set fat before reheating gives a cleaner broth, and a dab of hot Japanese mustard goes on the side.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Cut 800 g pork belly into thick pieces about 10 cm wide.
Cover with water in a pot, bring to a strong boil, and blanch for 10 minutes, skimming foam and excess fat from the surface.
- 2
Lift out the pork, rinse the surface lightly, and wipe the pot clean before braising.
This removes clinging impurities, keeps the sauce from turning cloudy, and gives the ginger a cleaner base to work with.
- 3
In the clean pot, combine 400 ml water, 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons mirin, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon ginger, and 1 green onion. Heat on high, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves.
- 4
When the braising liquid boils, add the pork and cover the pot.
Reduce to the lowest heat and cook for 90 minutes, turning the pieces once or twice so the color and seasoning spread evenly.
- 5
When the fat looks translucent and chopsticks slide in easily, uncover the pot.
Raise the heat to medium and cook about 10 minutes more, spooning the sauce over the pork to build a glossy glaze.
- 6
Turn off the heat when the braising liquid reduces to a thick brown sauce.
Place the pork over rice and spoon a little sauce on top.
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