Kakuni or Japanese Braised Pork Belly is tender chunks of succulent meat coated in a savory soy sauce glaze. There‘s something about this dish that I cannot resist! The slow cooking method turns the pork belly into a delicious creation that simply melts in your mouth.
Kakuni (角煮) is a Japanese braised pork belly, and it literary means “square simmered” referring to the shape of this dish. I’m not usually into fatty meat but there is something about this dish that I cannot resist. The slow cooking method turns the meat into a delicious creation.
For my day-to-day cooking, I enjoy experimenting with existing recipes to see if I can improve them. I had been cooking a simpler version of kakuni until one day my husband asked if the meat can be softer after I made it. I kept experimenting with different methods and changing the ingredients’ portions, and I think I finally got the kakuni that will melt in your mouth.
Tips to Make Delicious Kakuni
The key to a good kakuni recipe is the initial simmering. For this recipe, I spent 2-3 hours simmering the meat, but you could spend additional hours doing so if you have the time. This important process renders out the majority of fat from the pork belly and makes the meat and the fat have that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Although it takes hours of preparation (unless you have a pressure cooker), the result is really worth it. If you plan to cook this for your family, I would recommend you to make a double portion. Since you have to spend hours in the kitchen anyway, you might want to make extra for a second meal. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does.
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Braised Pork Belly (Kakuni)
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork belly
- 9–10 slices ginger (unpeeled; slice a 2-inch, 5-cm knob)
- 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) (or several green onions/scallions)
- 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
For the Seasonings
- 2½ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) (use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi)
- ¼ cup sake
- 3 Tbsp mirin
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 dried red chili pepper (optional)
For Serving
- shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Pound 1 lb pork belly on both sides with a meat pounder (or the back of the knife) to tenderize it.
- Press and mold the meat back into its original shape with your hands. Then, cut the pork belly into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces. My pieces are roughly 1½ x 1½ x 2 inches (4 x 4 x 5 cm).
- Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When it‘s hot, add the meat fat side down on the ungreased skillet. Cook the meat until all sides are nicely browned. To prevent oil splatter, you can use a splatter screen. Tip: Searing the surface of the meat before boiling helps draw out excess fat and lock in the flavor.
- When the meat is nicely browned, transfer the pieces to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat.
- Cut the unpeeled ginger thinly into 9–10 slices ginger; set aside half of the slices for later. Next, cut the green part of 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. Set aside the white part to make Shiraga Negi later for garnish (see below).
To Cook the Pork Belly
- In a large pot, put the seared pork belly, green part of the negi, and half of the sliced ginger (saving the other half for the braising liquid). Next, add enough water to the pot to cover the meat. Tip: Boiling the seared meat removes the excess fat and scum. These two steps (searing and boiling) remove excess fat while keeping the meat juicy.
- Bring it to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered (so the unwanted odor goes away), for 2–3 hours. Turn the pork occasionally during this time. When the liquid is running low, add more water or hot water to the pot so the meat remains covered at all times. Tip: If you want really tender meat, cook for at least 3 hours.
To Prepare the Eggs and Shiraga Negi
- Meanwhile, hard-boil 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) and peel them. Set aside. For more details, see my post on How To Make Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs.
- Next, use the white part of 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) to make shiraga negi. First, cut the white part into pieces that are 3 inches (7.6 cm) long. Then, make a lengthwise incision to remove the soft green core (save for another use). Stack the outer layers, holding them flat against the cutting board, and slice lengthwise into very thin julienned strips. Soak in a bowl of iced water for 10 minutes to remove the bitterness, and drain well. Set it aside to use later as a garnish. Tip: For step-by-step photos, see my tutorial on How To Make Shiraga Negi.
To Braise the Pork Belly
- After cooking for 2 hours, drain the water and remove the pork to a paper towel to wipe off the excess oil.
- To a large, heavy-bottomed pot (I use a Dutch oven), add the cooked pork belly, 2½ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock), ¼ cup sake, and 3 Tbsp mirin. Start cooking on medium heat.
- Next, add ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup soy sauce, the rest of the ginger slices, and 1 dried red chili pepper. Tip: I remove the chili seeds so it won‘t be too spicy for my kids.
- When it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low or medium low to maintain a simmer. Place an otoshibuta (drop lid) on top of the meat; do not cover the pot with the regular pot lid. Cook for 1 hour. Tip: If you don‘t have an otoshibuta, make one! See my post on How To Make Otoshibuta.
- After the halfway point (cooking for 30 minutes), add the peeled hard-boiled eggs to the pot. You can now remove the otoshibuta.
- Continue simmering, uncovered, for another 30 minutes. If the cooking liquid is pretty low, reduce the heat to low or lowest. Occasionally, baste the meat with the braising liquid and gently turn the meat and eggs. Make sure there‘s enough liquid in the pot so the pork and eggs don‘t burn. When the sauce is reduced and the meat has a nice glaze, it’s ready to serve.
To Serve
- Serve the Kakuni and eggs and garnish with shiraga negi on top. Season with shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (optional) to taste.
To Develop Flavor (optional)
- If you prefer a more flavorful and less oily Kakuni, wait one day before serving. Let it cool completely, then refrigerate the pork belly in its braising liquid overnight. The next day, remove and discard the solidified fat (optional) before gently reheating the Kakuni. Heat thoroughly and serve.
To Store
- 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.
Hi Nami! I tried this recipe for dinner tonight. It tasted so Japanese! I couldn’t believe it. My husband liked it too. I love Japanese food, and I can hardly find a restaurant in Singapore serving authentic Japanese food. Tonight I cooked one. Thanks a lot!
I’ve been familiarized with Japanese taste when I was still working in a manufacturing plant in the Phils. (a Japanese company’s subsidiary). Japanese bosses and friends would bring me to restaurants serving authentic Japanese foods both in the Philippines and in Japan (when we have business trips).
Oh, we have a common friend, Yukako. In fact, I learned about your website through her FB acct. So grateful to her for introducing your website to me.
Hi Baby Doctor! Thank you so much for writing. Yukako mentioned a long time ago that you are very good friend of her, so I was happy when I received this message. I’m really thrilled to hear you gave my recipe a try and liked it! She was actually here in the US on vacation and she left for Japan when I received your message. What a coincidence! Thank you for following my blog! 🙂
Yukako just sent me an e-mail telling me about her vacation. I miss her a lot.
Call me Baby (I know it’s strange, but it’s part of my first name). Doctor is my husband’s surname. Haha! I tried your other recipes before but I didn’t get the authentic Japanese taste. Well, it’s because I didn’t follow the recipe (I substituted some ingredients). This is your first recipe that I followed 100%. I learned my lesson. I’ll let you know when I try your other recipes again.
Keep up the good work!
Hi Baby (that’s right, Yukako call you “Baby”)! She’s my best friend from college here. 🙂 Thanks for your kind words and hope you enjoy other recipes as well!
Dear Nami,
You have inspired me so much in cooking. Def gonna try this:)
There is something I want you to know, I recently found this recipe of yours on one Onl Magazine, wondering if they ask your permission yet since they erase your watermark :/
http://kenh14.vn/made-by-me/thit-kho-trung-kieu-nhat-dua-com-cuc-ki-20130102101244580.chn
Thank you SO much for letting me know. I emailed the site and ask them to remove my content and pictures (I found at least 3 of my posts were stolen by this site). It’s such a shame for a pretty well-known website to steal someone’s contents which have copyright. If they won’t remove my site, I’ll report to Google and other search engines. Thank you very much for noticing and letting me know.
Dear Nami,
Isn’t braised pork belly one of the wonders of the food world?! Looks absolutely delicious and I recently discovered that awesome combination of braised pork belly with a green apple slaw that is so delicious and dangerous coz I am still trying to resist not cooking it too often.
http://pinterest.com/pin/305611524683237306/
How good do we have it? We get to come in and use your recipes that you have tweaked to perfection! It looks amazing Nami! Thanks!
I just had to order this when I was in Vegas this past weekend. It’s one of my favorite cuts of pork!
Um yum! I love pork belly but my husband is very picky about his pork belly – I think he’d go crazy for this!
Nami, what an intriguing recipe – you really explained all the steps so well, there is nothing that can go wrong when trying this recipe – it is rather easy to find porc belly around here (we are a nation of devoted porc eaters after all) and this would just be perfect for a meal during the holidays when we spent some time at home and lots of it in the kitchen. Very lovely!
Wow! I love pork belly. I had it for the first time in Hawaii this year. It’s amazing! This looks like a great treat for the family. Good idea to make leftovers since it does take so long to make. I bet it’s well-worth it though. 🙂
I know I will love this as I tried making some before. Yours look even better!
here is my version http://angsarap.net/2012/05/04/japanese-braised-pork-belly-buta-no-kakuni/
I had no idea about the skin benefits of pork belly, I just know I love it. This looks fabulous.
oh gosh, i miss pork so much…i already bookmarked this so that when we go to Philippines for vacation, i can try this 😀 you’re making me drool Nami by just looking at the pictures 🙂
Thank you so much Kathy! I hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
I love pork belly and I don’t care being greasy because fat is what make it very juicy, tender, and flavorful. You cooking this twice must be almost like silk in tenderness. Beautiful dish, Nami. Making me hungry. 🙂
Ooh, I have a pressure cooker and we almost never use it… I want to make more stuff with it. Does using a pressure cooker have any negative effects compared to the slower method? I’d really like to give this a try – looks so yummy
Hi Charles! I don’t think so… Some people use a pressure cooker to cook and I wish I have one too! Let me know how it goes if you decide to make this dish. 🙂
This looks absolutely amazing. I recently bought some pork belly for the first time and have been trying to figure out what to do with it. This may just be it!
Looks really yummy! 🙂 Oh Nami, you make something I would never even attepmt to cook look so simple!
Thank you Vivi! Hope you will give it a try. It’s delicious!! 🙂