Braised Pork Belly (Kakuni)

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients.

Step 2

Pound the pork on both sides with a meat pounder (or the back of the knife).

Step 3

Then mold the meat back into the original shape with your hands, and then cut into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces.

Step 4

Heat oil on the heavy skillet over medium-high heat and place the side with fat down. Cook the meat until all sides are nicely browned. To prevent oil splatter, you can use a splatter screen.

Step 5

When the meat is nicely browned, transfer it to a paper towel and wipe off excess fat.

Step 6

Slice the ginger and cut the green part of Tokyo Negi into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces. Save two slices for later.

Step 7

With the white part of Tokyo Negi, make shiraga negi for garnish (See How To Make Shiraga Negi).

Step 8

In a large pot, put the seared pork belly, green part of the negi, half of the sliced ginger (save the half for later), and pour water to cover the meat.

Step 9

Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered (so unwanted smell goes away) for 2-3 hours, turning occasionally (if you want really tender meat, cook for at least 3 hours). When the liquid is running low, keep adding water (or hot water) to cover the meat.

Step 10

Meanwhile, make 3 hard-boiled eggs (How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs).

Step 11

After cooking for 2 hours, drain the water and take out the meat, and wipe off excess oil with a paper towel.

Step 12

In a large heavy bottom pot (I use a Dutch oven), add the pork belly, dashi, sake, and mirin. Start cooking on medium-high heat.

Step 13

Add sugar, soy sauce, the rest of the ginger slices, and the red chili pepper (I remove the seeds so it won't be too spicy for my kids).

Step 14

When boiling, lower the heat but keep simmering. Place otoshibuta (drop lid) on top (If you don't have an otoshibuta, make one! See How To Make Otoshibuta) and do not need to put a regular lid. We’ll be cooking for 1 hour on simmer/low heat.

Step 15

After cooking for 30 minutes (halfway at this point), add the hard-boiled eggs. Remove otoshibuta.

Step 16

Continue simmering for another 30 minutes. Occasionally pour the sauce on top of the meat and rotate the meat and eggs. Make sure you have enough liquid so they won’t get burnt. When the sauce gets reduced and the meat has a nice glaze, it’s ready to serve.

Step 17

Serve the pork belly and eggs and garnish with shiraga negi on top.

Step 18

If you prefer this dish to be less oily and have more flavor, wait for another day. Let cool completely and store it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day take out the pot from the refrigerator and remove the solidified fat before heating up. Heat thoroughly and serve.

Step 19

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days and in the freezer for a month.