Buta no Kakuni — Slow-Braised Soy & Ginger Pork Belly

⏱ 195 min · Serves 4

Melting cubes of pork belly simmered low and slow in sake, soy, mirin and ginger until they wobble under the chopsticks. Glossy, sweet-savoury and deeply comforting, served with a jammy egg and a mound of steamed rice.

Per serving: 880 kcal · 42.0g protein · 58.0g carbs · 52.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 kg boneless pork belly, skin on, in one piece
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 leek, green tops included, roughly chopped
• 50 g fresh ginger, sliced (plus 1 tbsp julienned to serve)
• 6 spring onions, whites for braising, greens sliced to serve
• 200 ml sake
• 100 ml mirin
• 120 ml Japanese soy sauce
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1.2 litres water (approx.)
• 4 eggs
• 400 g cooked short-grain Japanese rice
• 1 tsp karashi mustard or English mustard, to serve
• Blanched pak choi or spinach, to serve

Method

1. Cut the pork belly into 5–6 cm cubes. Heat the oil in a heavy casserole over high heat and brown the pork on all sides, in batches, until deeply golden. Remove and drain off the fat.
2. Return the pork to the pot with the leek, sliced ginger and spring onion whites. Cover with cold water by 2 cm, bring to the boil, skim the scum, then simmer gently for 1 hour. This blanching step removes excess fat and gives a clean-tasting broth.
3. Lift out the pork and rinse under warm water. Discard the aromatics and cooking liquid, and wipe out the pot.
4. Return the pork to the clean pot with the sake, mirin, soy, sugar, vinegar and enough water to just cover (about 400 ml). Bring to a bare simmer, cover with a cartouche of baking paper and cook very gently for 90 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally, until a skewer slides in with no resistance.
5. Meanwhile, boil the eggs for 6.5 minutes, chill in iced water and peel. Add them to the pot for the last 20 minutes to soak up the braise.
6. Remove pork and eggs. Raise the heat and reduce the braising liquid to a glossy, pourable glaze, about 10 minutes. Return the pork briefly to coat.
7. Serve two cubes per person over hot rice with a halved egg, a spoonful of glaze, julienned ginger, spring onion greens, blanched greens and a dab of karashi mustard.