Buta Kakuni

Pork belly that falls apart at the touch of a chopstick, coated in a glossy, dark reduced glaze. The aroma of sweet soy and ginger is immediate.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 120 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 1249
• Protein: 29 g
• Carbs: 22 g
• Fat: 111 g

Ingredients

• 800 g Pork belly ( in large cubes )
• 500 ml dashi stock
• 100 ml Sake or rice alcohol
• 100 ml soy sauce
• 100 ml mirin
• 2 tbsp Brown sugar
• 2 piece Garlic ( crushed )
• 1 tsp Ginger powder
• 4 piece Egg ( hard-boiled and peeled )
• 2 piece Spring onion, sauté/poêlé sans matière grasse optional ( sliced for garnish )
• 30 g Fresh ginger ( peeled and sliced )

Instructions

1. Blanch and degrease

   Cut the pork belly into large 5cm cubes. Submerge them in boiling water for 10 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse with clear water.

2. Sear the meat

   In a hot pan, sear the cubes on all sides without adding fat. The skin should be golden and the fat should start to render.

3. Start braising

   Wet with dashi broth, sake, mirin, and soy sauce. Add brown sugar, crushed garlic, and ginger. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a minimum.

4. Slow simmer

   Cover and simmer for 1.5 hours. The meat is ready when it yields to a fork. Add the peeled hard-boiled eggs 20 minutes before the end so they take on color.

Chef's tips

• The secret is very low heat: the sauce should never boil vigorously, only simmer.
• If the sauce is too thin at the end, remove the meat and reduce over high heat until it coats the back of a spoon.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge. It's even better reheated the next day as the flavors infuse the meat.