Pork Belly for Ramen - the chashu that makes the bowl

The tare gives the broth its flavor, but the pork is what makes the bowl feel like a meal. This is the chashu I reach for. It's mostly waiting and very little actual work, and the trick is rolling it into a tight log and braising it low and slow so it ends up tender but still holds its shape when you slice it.

It pairs directly with my miso tare. Together with a bowl of noodles and whatever toppings you like, those two turn into a proper bowl of miso ramen.

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork belly (boneless, skin-on or skinless, rolled and tied with kitchen twine)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (e.g. vegetable or canola oil)
• 200 ml soy sauce
• 100 ml sake
• 100 ml mirin (or sweet cooking sake)
• 100 g sugar (brown sugar preferred for more depth)
• 500 ml water (or enough to almost cover the meat)
• 4 scallions (cut into large pieces)
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger (sliced)
• 4 cloves garlic (crushed)

Optional for finish:

• Ramen broth for reheating
• Blowtorch or broiler for charring slices before serving

Method

Roll the pork belly into a tight log, fat side out, and tie it every few centimeters with kitchen twine. Even cooking and easy slicing both come from this, so it's worth doing properly.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roll on all sides until lightly browned. This is where the caramelization and color come from.

In a deep pot, combine the soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, water, scallions, ginger, and garlic, and bring it to a simmer.

Lower the pork into the pot. Cover it partially and simmer over low heat for 1-2 hours, turning it now and then. You want it very tender but still intact. If you'd rather use the oven, put it in an ovenproof dish and bake at 150°C for 3-4 hours instead.

Let the pork cool in its braising liquid, then refrigerate it in that same liquid overnight. It deepens the flavor and firms the meat up, which makes slicing much easier.

Before serving, cut the twine off and slice thinly, about 5 mm. Reheat the slices gently in hot ramen broth or a little of the braising liquid. If you want the edges a bit charred, give them a quick pass with a blowtorch or under the broiler.