Cha-Shu

Ingredients

• Pork belly

• 60 mL (~¼ cup) mirin

• 125 mL (~½ cup) soy sauce

• 250 mL (~1 cup) water

• 25g (~2 tbsp) brown sugar

• 60 mL (~¼ cup) sake

• 3 garlic cloves, smashed

Recipe

Add all ingredients to a saucepan large enough to hold the pork but small enough for it to be submerged.

1. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer.

2. Cook until tender and internal temperature reaches 95°C / 203°F, ~2–3 hours (thicker bellies will take longer). The pork should feel soft, yielding, and jiggly when probed.

3. Remove the pork and place it on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Reserve the braising liquid in a container large enough to hold the pork later.

4. Preheat your oven as high as it will go for at least 30 minutes. This also gives the pork time to dry and cool, allowing the sugar-tacky surface to caramelize quickly in the oven.

5. Roast the pork for 5–10 minutes, until the exterior is dark, rusted, and bubbling.

6. Remove from oven and immediately transfer the hot pork back into the reserved braising liquid. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight before slicing.

7. When re-heating, cook in soup for 1-2 minutes at a low heat or use a culinary torch to blister and blacken the surface and render some fat.