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Make this easy, melt-in-your-mouth Chashu pork belly recipe at home! Braised in a sweet and savory sauce, you can now add the tender slice of meat as topping to your next bowl of ramen. It’s the most fulfilling reward for any pork belly lovers out there!
What is your favorite ramen topping? For me, it is the perfectly cooked soft-boiled marinated Ramen Egg (Ajitsuke Tamago). But for most people I know, including Mr. JOC, it is the melt-in-your-mouth juicy, tender, and flavorful slices of braised pork belly known as Chashu (チャーシュー).
What is Chashu?
Japanese have adapted the famous Chinese barbecued pork called Char Siu (叉燒) as chāshū (チャーシュー). Unlike the Chinese version which requires roasting over high heat, we prepare the meat by rolling it into a log and then braising it over low heat in a sauce seasoned with soy sauce, sake, and sugar.
In Japanese, Chashu is sometimes called “Nibuta” (煮豚), literally means simmered/braised pork, as opposed to “Yakibuta” (焼豚), which means barbecued pork. The Japanese enjoy Chashu as a topping for Ramen and other noodles, as well as Chashu over steamed rice in called Chashu Don, like a rice bowl.
The Original Chinese Char Siu
Traditionally, Chinese char siu is marinated in soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, rice wine, five spice powder, and red food coloring, and then roasted in a covered oven or barbecued over a fire. You have probably seen the slabs of barbecued pork hanging in Chinese deli shop windows.
Chinese Char Siu offers a good bite with marked, smoky grilled flavor, while Japanese chashu is appreciated for its succulent and fork-tender texture.
Watch How to Make Chashu
Make this easy, melt-in-your-mouth Chashu pork belly recipe at home! Braised in a sweet and savory sauce, you can now add the tender slice of meat as topping to your next bowl of ramen. It’s the most fulfilling reward for any pork belly lovers out there!
A Quick Rundown on How to Make Chashu Pork
First, we sear the pork belly over high heat to caramelize the surface of the meat. My go-to choice is a solid cast iron pan which I use for searing meats. With a cast iron, you can really turn up the heat and food comes in direct contact with an evenly heated surface. This step makes a great difference with the finished dish, enhancing it with complex layers of flavors.
After searing the meat, we then braise the meat in a soy sauce based seasoning on a simmering low heat for about 1-2 hours. The pork will slowly soak up all the flavors in the pot. Ginger and long green onion (in Japan it goes by a few names – Naganegi (長ねぎ), Shironegi (白ねぎ) or Tokyo negi (東京ねぎ)) help remove any unsavory smell and add more depth to the sauce.
When the sauce is reduced, transfer the meat to a bag or a container with a little bit of sauce, and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight to intensify the flavors.
Next day it’s finally ready to serve. Slice the Chashu thinly but thick enough for the chopsticks to clasp on.
Chashu 2 Ways: Rolled (Log) vs. Non-Rolled (Block)
Chashu served on ramen is often rolled up although many ramen shops do serve slices of the Non-Rolled Chashu in Japan. Both ways are legitimate Chashu by the standard of ramen shops, but let’s take a look at the two options.
Rolled Chashu (Log)
The most common preparation for Chashu served on ramen is by rolling a big slab of pork belly into a log with butcher’s twine. The main reason for that is to keep the pork moist. As the meat is not directly exposed to the sauce, meat does not get dry yet it still absorbs flavors.
When I roll the pork belly into a log shape, I usually increase the amount of cooking time because you will need more time to rotate the Chashu and to make sure it soaks up all the good flavors.
You may wonder why I don’t increase the amount of seasoning so that Chashu will be completely submerged. Ramen shops make Chashu every day and they keep re-using the cooking sauce by combining with a new batch of seasoning. To a home cook, it is rather wasteful to make such a big batch of cooking sauce.
That’s why you will need 2 hours to cook Rolled Chashu (as opposed to 1 hour for Non-rolled Chashu).
Non-Rolled Chashu (Block)
If you don’t need a lot of Chashu, consider making Non-Rolled Chashu with smaller blocks of pork belly. The pork belly blocks I buy from the local Japanese supermarket come in small pieces (¾ to 1 lb). Since you don’t need to roll them up into a log, you can start searing the pork belly right away.
The benefit of Non-Rolled Chashu is that braising time takes just 1 hour as the slab of pork belly is fairly flat and easily absorbs flavors. Make sure to use Otoshibuta (drop lid) so that the sauce will circulate nicely and there will not be too much evaporation during braising.
Chashu (Non-Rolled Chashu) served with Shiraga Negi topping and Ramen Egg.
How to Roll and Tie Chashu
Why do we roll Chashu?
- To maintain the shape after rendering fat.
- To keep the moisture in the meat (protected by outer layer/rind).
- To look pretty
Learn how to roll and tie pork belly correctly
You can find the step-by-step pictures in the recipe below and video above to go over the step, but here’s the quick summary.
- Find out the right orientation for rolling. One or both ends should have the “bacon” like appearance, showing the varying layers of meat and fat.
- Roll up and find how much pork belly you need for a nice cooking Chashu. Cut off any extra meat and save it for other recipes.
- Once you roll up the pork belly into a log, wrap the meat with a butcher twine on one end and make a double knot.
- Wrap 2-3 more times on the same end (the starting point) to make sure it is secured.
- Then run the twine across the log to the far end and wrap 2-3 times tightly. Both ends are now secured.
- From this end, start wrapping tightly and work toward the starting point, keeping ⅓ inches (1 cm) between each wrap.
- Once you reach the starting point, run the twine under some wraps around the middle and then bring back to the starting point.
- Make a double knot with two ends of the butcher twine.
What Cut of Pork Do We Use for Chashu?
The ideal cut for chashu is pork belly, although you can use pork shoulder, and sometimes pork loin. Keep in mind that the last two choices don’t get the melt-in-your-mouth texture as they do not have as much fat as pork belly.
In Japanese cooking, we usually use pork belly without a rind/skin (except for making certain Chinese or Okinawan recipes).
I always use pork belly for my Chashu recipe, but if you try pork shoulder, let me know. I personally would not recommend using pork loin for this recipe.
Where to Buy Pork Belly
You may not find pork belly sitting at the butcher window or sold pre-packaged, but most butchers should have them stored in the freezer. So don’t be shy to ask the butcher at your local grocery stores or meat deli. Ready to make pork belly on the same day? Do call ahead and factor in the defrosting time as they usually come frozen.
The best place to shop for pork belly is Korean grocery stores. They sell different thickness and sizes of pork belly. I usually request the butcher to cut a specific size just for me.
You can also ask the butcher to remove the rind/skin (if there is any) or remove it yourself using a sharp knife.
How to Cut Chashu?
It’s pretty easy to cut the Chashu into thin slices when it has been rest in the refrigerator overnight. A sharp bread knife would make your job relatively easier too.
I don’t usually use up the entire Chashu in one meal, so I’d cut into several thin slices for Ramen, and then cut the rest into 2 to 3 blocks and pack each piece in the Food Savor bag to store in the freezer. I’ll show you below how I use Chashu besides Ramen.
How to Reheat Chashu?
There are 3 ways to reheat Chashu:
- Soak Chashu in the hot cooking sauce.
- Directly put in the hot noodle soup.
- Sear the Chashu using a culinary butane torch. We call this Aburi Chashu (炙りチャーシュー). Aburi means searing in Japanese and you may have heard about Aburi Toro and Aburi Salmon from the sushi menu.
I use searing options to reheat Chashu and to add smoky charred flavor. Don’t forget to drizzle some hot cooking liquid on top!
What Can I Use Chashu for?
Besides enjoying Chashu with ramen or by itself, you can also use it for many other dishes. Here are my suggestions:
- Noodle dishes – Hiyashi Chuka and Tsukemen
- Rice dishes – Chashu Don (over rice) and Chashu Fried Rice – a great way to use up the broken pieces or edges of Chashu.
- Sandwiches – Serve with steamed buns (use this recipe)
What Can I Use Chashu Cooking Sauce for?
- Stir fry seasoning
- Marinate for grilling meat
- Make Ramen Egg
Family’s Favorite Recipe for a Long Time!
I’ve been cooking this exact Chashu recipe for almost 20 years (and on the blog since 2011) and my family loves it. It’s not that difficult to make at all, but you may need to be around in the kitchen while simmering the meat. The final reward is phenomenal and it’s totally worth your time!
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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Make this easy, melt-in-mouth Chashu pork belly recipe at home! Braised in a sweet and savory sauce, you can now add the tender slice of meat as topping to your next bowl of ramen!
- 2-2½ lb pork belly block (roughly 8" x 9", 20 cm x 23 cm; If your pork belly still has a rind and want to remove it, check this video for directions.)
- 1 negi (long green onion) (can substitute it with 1 leek or 2-3 green onions or a combination)
- 1 knob ginger
- 1 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc)
- 1 cup sake
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 2 cup water
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¾ lb pork belly block (you got 1 lb block, see Notes)
- 1 negi (long green onion) (can substitute it with 1 leek or 2-3 green onions)
- 1 knob ginger
- ½ Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc)
- ⅓ cup sake
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅔ cup water
- 3 Tbsp sugar
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Gather all the instructions.
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Roll up the pork belly, making sure one or both ends should have the “bacon” like appearance, showing the varying layers of meat and fat. If your slab comes with the skin (rind), it should be facing out. My block does not come with it. See Notes if you want to remove it.
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Run some butcher twine under the far end of the log. Tie a double knot to secure the pork tightly. Make sure you leave about 3 inches (7.5 cm) twine at the end.
- Wrap around the pork belly 2-3 times around the same area to secure the end. Then pull the twine to the other end of the pork belly. Wrap around 2-3 times at the end area to secure before working toward the middle. Each wrap should be a ⅓ inch (1 cm) in between.
- Continue wrapping around the pork belly toward the end (where you started). Make sure it’s tightly wrapped as much as possible.
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Once you reach the end, run the butcher twine under some wraps to hook and go back to the starting point. Find the 3-inch (7.5 cm) twine you leave behind.
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Tie a double knot with the long twine and the 3-inch (7.5 cm) twine.
- Cut off the green part of long green onion and slice the ginger (I use organic ginger; rinse and use the skin).
- Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet (or regular frying pan) over high heat. Add the rolled pork belly in the pan.
- Sear the pork belly one side at a time, rotating to make sure all sides are nicely seared.
- It’ll take about 10-15 minutes all together.
- While searing, put all the ingredients for seasonings in a heavy-bottom pot (or regular pot) that fits the Chashu.
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Transfer the seared Chashu into the Dutch oven.
- Bring the liquid to a boil.
- Once boiling, skim off the foam and scum. Then turn the heat to low/simmer.
-
Put an Otoshibuta (drop lid) on top to press the ingredient down. You do not need to use the regular lid and limit the evaporation by just Otoshibuta. If you don’t have an Otoshibuta, you can make it with aluminum foil (here’s how to make Otoshibuta).
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Simmer on low heat, and covered with Otoshibuta at all times for the next 2 hours, rotating Chashu every 30 minutes.
- The sauce has been reduced. After 2 hours, turn off the heat to let cool a little bit.
- Once the meat is slightly cooled, transfer to a container or plastic Food Saver bag. Strain the leftover cooking liquid over a fine-mesh strainer. The liquid is roughly 2 ½ cup.
- Add ½ cup of the cooking liquid into the bag.
- Seal the bag with Food Saver. TIP: Fold a piece of paper towel to plug the entry of the Food Saver bag. This paper towel will absorb all the moisture when you seal.
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I also made a quick Ramen Egg (Ajitsuke Tamago) with the leftover liquid. You make soft boiled eggs and add ½ cup of cooking liquid in the bag. Cover the cooking liquid and store Chashu, Ramen Egg, and the cooking liquid in the refrigerator.
- Open the bag of Chashu.
- Cut the twine with kitchen shears and remove them completely.
-
Slice the Chashu into ¼ inch pieces (Keep the edge for Chashu Fried Rice!).
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Place the Chashu slices on a ceramic plate and use a propane torch or broiler to sear the Chashu slices to enhance the flavor. Then enjoy them immediately or serve on your ramen.
- Scoop up the solidified fat from the cooking sauce.
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Prepare a mason jar or container and strain the sauce over a fine-mesh sieve to make sure the solidified fat is left behind. The sauce will last for a month in the refrigerator. I use it for drizzling over the Chashu and making stir-fries, marinade, and ramen eggs.
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You can store the Chashu in the refrigerator up to 7 days and 1 month in the freezer. I usually divide the Rolled Chashu into thirds and freeze 2 portions separately (for Ramen right away, and Chashu Fried Rice and Chashu Don for later). Ramen Eggs should be consumed in 3-4 days if they are soft-boiled eggs and 7 days if hard-boiled eggs. The eggs get salty as you keep in the marinade, so remove from the sauce when they have the right taste.
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Gather all the ingredients. For small blocks of pork belly, you don't need to roll them up before cooking and simmering time is just 1 hour (instead of 2 hours).
- Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet (or regular frying pan) over high heat. Sear the fat side down first, then flip over to sear all sides, which will take about 10 minutes.
- While searing, put all the ingredients for seasonings in a heavy-bottom pot (or regular pot) that fits the Chashu. Add the Chashu and bring it to a boil, skimming the scum and foam. Then turn the heat to low/simmer.
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Put an Otoshibuta (drop lid) on top to press the ingredient down and limit the evaporation. If you don’t have an Otoshibuta, you can make it with aluminum foil. (here’s how to make Otoshibuta). Simmer on low heat for next one hour, rotating Chashu every 15 minutes (keep Otoshibuta on all times!).
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After one hour, there is ½ inch liquid left in the pot. Now you have 2 options. Option 1: If you're serving right away, remove the Otoshibuta and further cook down the sauce on low heat until the sauce gets thicken and see the bottom of the pot when you draw a line with a spatula. Option 2 (recommended): Transfer the Chashu to a container or a bag with a little bit of cooking sauce and refrigerate overnight. Strain the leftover cooking sauce and refrigerate.
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To serve, slice the Chashu into ¼ inch pieces. You can use a propane torch or broiler to sear the Chashu slices to enhance the flavor. If you kept the Chashu overnight and don't want to sear the Chashu, you can reheat it by soaking in the hot cooking sauce.
Recipe Video
For 1 lb (pound) Pork Belly (Non-Rolled Chashu for 4 Servings):
- 1 lb pork belly block (454 g)
- 1 Negi/Long Green Onion (Sub: 1 leek or 2-3 green onions)
- 1 knob ginger
- ½ Tbsp neutral flavor oil (vegetable, canola, etc)
- ½ cup sake (120 ml)
- ½ cup soy sauce (120 ml)
- 1 cup water (240 ml)
- ⅓ cup sugar (75 g, 5 Tbsp)
Editor’s Notes: This post was originally shared in May 2011. The first video was added in September 2014 with new images. New video and images are added in May 2019.
Really glad to find this website. I’m a guy and I enjoyed cooking on occasion. In this case, I’m interested in trying out your chashu recipe. I was curious, however, about cooking sake vs. mirin? I have a bottle of mirin at home and, if it’s an acceptable substitute for cooking sake, it’ll save me a trip to the Japanese grocery store. And, if I can use mirin, what amount would you recommend for this recipe? Thanks so much!
Hi Dennis! I’m so happy to hear you like my site! Thank you. 🙂 As for cooking sake vs. Mirin, they are completely different. Cooking sake or sake is pretty similar. I’m not a sake drinker, but you can buy a cheep small sake bottle and that works just fine too. Or you can use any kind of Asian cooking wine (Chinese rice wine etc). Mirin is sweet and we use it as substitute of sugar since Mirin has very mild sweetness. I hope you will like this recipe!
Nami,
I went to the local Japanese market and looked for konbucha. I didn’t realize that konbu-cha is basically seaweed tea until the lady working there pointed me to the tea section. I asked her if the konbucha that she showed was used for seasoning food and she said “no”. But the characters were as you described. Did I get the wrong thing? Thanks!
Hahaha! Thank you Dennis for writing. Yes you did buy the right kind! A lot of Japanese use Konbucha as seasonings because it has good Umami (use as salt). You are fine! 🙂 I can’t wait for you to make Chashu! I hope you will like it! Good luck.
Ah, I see now, upon reading the comments section more carefully, that you had already mentioned that konbucha might be in the tea section. To your credit, there are so many comments that I just missed it the first time. I will try recipe tonight…thanks for the good luck wishes, I’ll probably need it. 🙂
Hi Dennis! How did it go? I hope it came out okay. 🙂
Nami,
The chashu turned out pretty well, considering the fact that I’m not an especially good cook. The flavor was definitely a highlight…I’m not sure to what extent the flavor was due to konbucha (vs. regular salt), but my wife and I liked it a lot.
The hardest part, believe it or not, was finding a cut of pork belly that I liked. The Asian markets locally only had frozen pork belly in stock last weekend, so I actually purchased the meat at a Mexican meat market. In addition, the cut of pork belly that I go had that tough, outer skin on it that was very difficult to cut off. I decided to cook the meat first and try to remove it after it’d been cooked. Still, it was an extra hassle.
The drop lid worked pretty well, too, I think. Thanks for the great recipe, tips, and responses in the comments section!
Hi Dennis! I’m glad you liked it. Konbucha has konbu dashi which salt doesn’t have. We use konbu to make dashi too, so you can imagine some umami from konbu is added.
For Chashu, I always buy pork belly from Nijiya supermarket. The meat quality is pretty good there. I always buy meat from good store because you take time to cook so I really want the quality rather than quantity. I’m unfortunately unfamiliar with cut of the meat…but I saw nice pork berry in Lundardie’s (I think this is Bay Area only). This supermarket has everything that I can’t find in regular supermarket…so more of high end. but their pork belly was pretty beautiful. Does Mitsuwa have pork belly? I know they should have sliced pork belly…but not sure about block. Mine is very soft and it’s almost hard to cut (because the meat is tender). We didn’t waste any of the meat as my husband likes fat part too… Sorry the meat gives you a little hassle. Hope you can find a better meat somewhere. Drop lid is necessity in Japanese cooking. You only need a little bit of liquid yet it goes around to the top and cook so well without flipping too often. Thanks again for giving me feedback!
Can I challenge you to adapt this recipe to the Instant Pot? This meal seems like a perfect use for it but I’m stuck on what to set the pressure cook time at. I’ll give it a try tonight (unrolled) and see what I can do myself.
Hi Ross! I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure how long it will require to be the perfect texture. Keep us posted!
Nami!
I was looking for Chshu ramen recipes and came across your website!
You have such nice pictures and good layout and I love to read your looking steps! Really well, written simply and gentle (like a true Japanese lady Hehee).
I followed your steps in this chashu recipe and my meats came out really nice. Perhaps a little too salty coz I may have been too generous w the soy suace and salt. But the meat is tender n delicious! Thank you!
I also love your Otoshibuta foil method. Such a genius!
Will be checking out the rest of your recipes. You have a new FAN here! Keep up the good job!
Hi Cecilia! Thank you for stopping by my website. I’m happy you found my site and liked it. I’m glad step-by-step pictures are helping. I’ll keep working hard! Otoshibuta method is great, right? It’s genius invention I believe! I’m glad you became a fan and thank you so much for leaving the kind message here. I’m so happy~~~. 🙂
Nami,
For the Tokyo Negi, can I substitute is with green onions? as it is easy available.
BTW, I gave your teba shio recipe a try, I loved it! Thanks for posting such a great recipe. I kinda set my oven on fire from the wings’ grease.
Hi Sandrine, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have laughed but when you said you set your oven on fire I just imagined the scene of chaos and had to laugh… I hope everything was okay though and I’m sorry I should have mentioned that everyone must be careful when broiling. I’m glad you liked the recipe. Wasn’t it easy? 😉
As for the Tokyo Negi, yes you can substitute with green onions. 🙂 Hope you will like it!
Hey Nami,
Can I subsitute cooking sake with Chinese Rice Cooking Wine? At this rate I am subsituting: Konbucha, Tokyo Negi and then sake.
Also, I read your first comment about your children enjoying Pho. I should be getting a Pho recipe from one of my Vietnamese friends, want me to pass it to you when I get it?
Thanks,
P
Hi Patrick! Yes you can use that. 🙂
The Pho recipe sounds nice! Yes, if it’s not troublesome, would you email me with the recipe? Thank you Patrick!
I don’t know if you check this but my boyfriend took a stab at making shio ramen for me tonight. I told him I wanted meat (chashu) in it but that I didn’t know how it was made. I looked up some recipes and yours looked the most aesthetically pleasing (^-^) and he was like ok, I’ll make it (mind you he’s American, never lived in Japan (I did for 5 years that’s why I was asking him to make ramen) and that’s what he did. うまかったよ！本当に！ It was so delicious….I wished that I had some white rice to just eat the chashu (he put daikon, ginger, garlic, some other stuff I’m not even sure but it was GOOOD!). Yep, this was the first time he had Japanese ramen, first time tasting chashu and he even said he would use the sauce in other dishes. Thank you thank you for such a lovely recipe! ごちそうさまでした！
Hi iLaShonda!
Thank you so much for your feedback! I’m so happy to hear that you and your BF enjoyed homemade chashu! 🙂 Ramen shop takes a long time to make chashu, but this recipe is pretty good for the amount of time you spend to cook. It’s easy and delicious. メッセージどうもありがとう！とても嬉しかったです!
Nami, thanks for this wonderful recipe. I lived in Japan for two years a couple years ago and I was starting to crave chashu and this was delicious. My wife who doesn’t usually like beef or pork loved it and I wished I would have made more. Thanks! -Matt
Hi Matt! Thank you so much for your feedback! I’m so happy you and your wife enjoyed this recipe. Next year I’m planning to improve my chashu recipe. This recipe is very easy, but I really want to make it even softer… Thank you again for writing! 🙂
Hi Nami, my first time visit your blog, I googled California rolls and saw a very details instructions including pictures on your blog, I really like it,
thank you for a very nice and descriptive recipe,
Hi Ta! Welcome to my blog! So happy that you stopped by and enjoyed my site. Thank you so much for writing!
Hi, just want to let you know that I really like this recipe. The chashu tasted great and so easy to make! The best part is, I used the leftover several times to make more ramen, fried rice and steamed rice, and they all taste much better with chashu in it. Flavor was still delicious after frozen.
Looking forward to more delicious recipes. 🙂
Hi Maggie! I’m very happy to hear you liked the recipe. I especially love to put the leftover in fried rice too. So good! I sometimes think I look forward to fired rice more than eating with ramen. Thank you for trying the recipe and writing feedback. xoxo 🙂
Nami – I made this yesterday and I love the flavour of the chashu!
But I found my meat a little too tough as compared to chashu from ramen restaurants.. I was cooking the meat under the otoshibuta for about half hour till the sauce thickened. Any advice on how I can make the meat more tender?
Hi Alana! This is a very quick method and hard to compare with the softness of meat when it’s cooked for hours. However, I’ll try to find a way to make it better. 🙂 I’ve been meaning to make different version, but have been busy with other recipes…
Thank you again, very very useful information. My family is so happy when they see me on your website looking for something to cook. great Chashu recipe. Thank you again
Hi Les! Haha thank you so much for checking my website! I hope you enjoy my recipes. 🙂
Could you please explain the difference between pork belly kakuni and chashu. They would appear to be the same although chashu is often rolled up. Thank you for your excellent work in helping us enjoy and understand Japanese cuisine.
Hi Constantine! You have a good question! The cooking method for homemade quick chashu is sort of similar to one for Kakuni. Some home and restaurant ramen includes “Simmered Chashu (煮豚チャーシュー)” and mine is the same. So “simmered chashu” is more like a short cut version. 😉
Oh my! I think my family (hubby) would just gobble up the chashu and it wouldn’t make it to the ramen!
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Donna! Haha it’s highly possible. I usually make two blocks together so that I can save one for ramen and one for by itself and chashu fried rice. Thank you for checking this post! 🙂 xo
Dear Nami,
Did you use Pork Belly with Skin or Pork Belly without Skin. Which better to use in this recipe. Thank you!
Hi Steve! Mine comes without skin. If yours come with skin, I have a video in Note section that might help you remove the skin. 🙂
Dear Nami,
I am in luck. The two pieces that I bought last month are skinless and virtually fat free. I making the one that weighs 34 ounces. It is already thawing in the fridge.
(P.S. I did not like the recipe for Chinese Pork Belly that I used last time. So your recipe is like something delivered from heaven…)
Great! I think having fat is necessary for moist and tender chashu though. I hope your “fat-free” pieces will come out juicy and tender. Good luck!! 🙂
It is wonderfull . Thank you for your pin.
Thank you for checking this post, Jungwoo! 🙂
Hello Nami,
first of all thank you very much for this detailed recipe! I lived in Japan for one year and Sapporo Miso-Ramen became my favourite dish there. Sadly I could no find any Ramen Restaurants here in Germany – at least near me – so now I am very happy to have found your website and his recipe on it 🙂
But now here is my problem. My girlfriend is strictly opposed to alcohol (even if the heat reduces it by cooking for a long time). Is there any way to substitute the sake (in your Chashu recipe) and the Mirin (in the Ramen egg Recipe) which still creates a similar flavour?
Thank you!
Ps.: Can’t wait to try your kare risu next 🙂
Hi Stefan! Thank you so much for your kind comment. I hope my ramen recipe will be something similar to what you had in Hokkaido…but frankly, many hours or days vs my 20 minute broth may not be comparison, but I hope you get to cook more frequently because it’s easy and delicious! 🙂
Don’t worry – you can skip sake… result may be a bit different because sake is important to remove the unnecessary smell from the pork and tender meat etc… but it should not give a big impact at the end. And for ramen egg, yes you can omit mirin, but make sure to add enough sugar so it adds some sweetness to it, not just salty soy sauce flavor. Hope this helps!
Kare Raisu! Yay, that’s a good one. 😀 Hope you enjoy!
I made chashu today. It came out perfect! Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to serve this with Ramen. I am also going to use the leftover to make fried rice and pan fried noodles. Waa oishii da yo! Sugoi!
Hi Ray! I’m so glad your chashu came out well! Yay! I personally love the chashu fried rice or chashu donburi with soft boiled egg… oh soooo good! Enjoy! Arigato for your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi Nami
I have tried several of your recipes (e.g. ramen egg), much to my family delight, however this cha shu came up rather tough & quite salty. I was expecting a melt-in-your-mouth texture. I didnt have the otoshibuta but i made an aluminium one which was just fine. can you suggest what might have gone wrong?
appreciate your reply
Jie
Hi Jie! Thank you for trying this recipe! It melts in your mouth but it all depends on the meat too. It should have enough fat in between so that it is very tender. Depends on the meat/fat ratio, the tenderness changes and it happens to me too. Get a good piece of pork belly. 🙂 Aluminum option is totally fine and that is not a reason for salty or less tender issue. Maybe try reducing the amount of soy sauce next time? I make this with same soy sauce and same ingredients all the time so I don’t notice any difference in brand of soy sauce etc. Well it also depends on personal preference when it comes to saltiness as well. Feel free to adjust to your liking and hope you enjoy it next time if you try again! 🙂 Thank you once again!
Hi Nami, this looks so delectable (especially with the layer of melt in your mouth fat!) I’ll try this out soon. What brand of soy sauce do you use by the way? I find kikkoman pretty salty.13
Hi Fern! I rotate brands (depends on price and availability) but my favorite soy sauce that I can get from regular supermarkets is this one (not special soy sauce that’s very expensive)
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry/soy-sauce/
good! interesting
Thanks!
I want to try this recipe but with one of the other cuts of pork you suggest. I’m curious (and I worry this is a really dumb question) when you serve it sliced as you do, do the Japanese eat it as is? Or do they cut the fat off once it’s served. If I served that to my husband he wouldn’t want to eat it at all. He doesn’t appreciate the way fat flavors meat!
Hi Jan! We can eat it as it is, but we often use it as a topping over rice, noodles, etc, or mix in rice to make fried rice etc. Like you said, it’s quite fatty. I am like y our husband and I don’t like too much fat (even though it melts in your mouth). I even remove some fat, if it’s a thick cut and I feel like I’m about to eat a big chunk of fat (like butter). My husband doesn’t mind. But if it’s a big chunk, I only eat the meat part. At home, I slice it thin and use a torch to charr it and use it as a topping. For fried rice, I include fat part. Hope this helps? 🙂
Its looks so good. I always want to know how to make chasu, and i thoughit its very difficult, but no. Btw, can i exchange the sake with something else, cause very hard to find sake here, can i exchange it with chinese cooking wine??
There are different ways to make chashu in Japan and this is considered a quick way. Yet it’s flavorful and delicious! Yes you can use Chinese rice wine but for really good chashu, try making it with sake one day!
This recipe looks so tasty, but I cannot eat that much fat. I tried it at a restaurant lately and it made me very sick in the stomach. Can I cut most of the fat off the meat and make the recipe that way or would it be polite to make the recipe and then cut the fat off?
I’m trying to learn how to make the noodles from scratch instead of buying them in a package that I don’t know whether it has preservatives or other chemicals, or even tastes good. My friend likes Yaki-Soba as he spent 3 years in Japan during the Vietnam War. His oldest son was a baby at the time and as he began to talk he always asked for YAHKEE SOBA. But he prefers the Ramen noodle. Can you tell me how to make the noodles myself?
Hi Fiath! I’m like you – I’m not a huge fan of fatty part. I usually cook with it and remove some parts while I eat. You can cut off some parts before cooking, but you will need some fat so that the meat is nice and soft when you bite into it. I think you can remove moderately. After all, pork belly is pretty fatty, and you’ll end up throwing away most of it if you cut off too much. I make udon noodles from scratch once in a while but I never tried yakisoba or ramen noodles. Maybe one day! 🙂
Looks good, and your video helps a lot. What is the music in the video, I *love* it!
Hi George! Happy to hear you liked the video! It’s called “True To You” and you can find it on Audio Network. 🙂
今まで作ったチャーシューで一番美味しくできました。ありがとうございます！
はるみさん、嬉しい〜！気に入ってもらえて光栄です。フィードバックありがとうございます！
It looks amazing and thanks for the step by step guide!
The left over sauce seems to be too good to throw away! Just wondering if you have any recipe to make use of the left over sauce in the pan?
many thanks!
Hi Sammie! You can reduce the sauce even more, but I save that much amount so that I can soak the chashu for next day (for more flavoring – but optional). Hope that helps! 🙂
Hey Nami! Thank you for this amazing recipe, me and my friends enjoyed it a lot (of times :D)
I have a question regarding the leftover sauce after braising the meat: The sauce is SO delicious. What do you do with it or what can I do with it? All I could come up with so far was to slightly water it down again and eat it with plain rice, but surely you’ve already had some more ideas? Thanks a lot!
Hi Nico! I’m so happy to hear you like this recipe! I usually pour the sauce over the meat and eat with rice, and I don’t really use the sauce for something else besides to keep the meat and some sauce in the container for the next day (for more flavor and to keep it moist). Oh! You can definitely add boiled eggs or soft boiled eggs in the marinade! It’s really good! 🙂
Hello nami,
May i know how to reheat the chasu if i store in freezer?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Veronica! First I’d defrost the frozen chashu in the fridge overnight, then place it in a pot to reheat or microwave it. If you don’t have time for overnight defrosting, then I’d microwave until it’s warm, then cook in a pot (I like to end in a pot so I can pour the sauce over while reheating, etc). Hope this helps!
Dear Namkio, I just love you and your ability to share your culture with us main stream people. Your recipes are delicious, your instructions make it easy to follow (which I need). Thank you so much. Happy thoughts to you and your family. Sherie
Hi Sherie! Thank you so much for your kind words, and I’m so happy to hear you enjoy my recipes and blog! Thank you!!! 🙂
I tried this recipe over the weekend, and the meat tastes lovely. One problem I encountered was that after the meat finishes cooking, it is very tender and next to impossible to cut neatly. As I cut the meat it just falls apart. I suppose I can use the mushed meat for cha shu fried rice, but how did you end up with such clean cut for the meat?
Hi Carol! Thanks so much for trying this recipe! Sorry for my late response (I’ve been traveling this week in Japan). First I want to mention that having a good sharp knife really makes a huge difference when you cut meat, raw fish, etc. Just one slice and clean cut. You won’t need to move up and down to cut, which could end up with breaking the meat. If you use the same part of the meat (pork belly), I believe your meat was pretty tender too. The amount of fat matters too (it melts away) but I think with a sharp knife, you could cut nicely. You don’t need a super expensive knife, but usually a knife around $100 is nice one to have. It makes cutting so much easier as well. Hope this helps. 🙂
Is the sake optional or do you absolutely need it? Is there an alternative?
Hi Jen! Yes, I highly recommend using sake, dry sherry or Chinese rice wine for this recipe. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi Nami, I wanted to do this but I don’t wanna use pork belly. For healthier option can I use streaky pork or other soft part? Thank you 🙂
Hi Connie! You’ll need some fatty part of the pork, but doesn’t have to be pork belly. 🙂
I just made some today for my very first attempt to make chashu, and it came out wonderfully despite all my mistakes! I didn’t have any ginger or leeks, had to substitute Chinese rice wine for sake, and didn’t know that I should have removed the skin. But it’s still delicious and amazingly tender even with such a short cooking time, so I’m glad to have found such a fool-proof recipe. I will certainly trying this again and follow all your instructions next time. Thank you so much for sharing this! My husband and I love your site.
Hi Den! I’m so happy to hear you tried this recipe and your chashu came out well! Ginger and negi (green onion/leeks – it’s somewhere between) helps reducing the smell of pork, so it’s nice to have. Chinese rice wine is okay to substitute sake. Some people tries to skip, but it’s necessary. 🙂 Japanese pork belly from Japanese grocery stores don’t really have a thick rind/skin on pork belly, but I learned that it’s attached when you purchase other stores. Thank you so much for your kind feedback and for your support!
Hi Nami,
I have been buying char Sui from Chinatown and I tried your recipe for chashu. I will be making my own chashu from now on. It was so easy to make and the sauce was divine. Thanks so much for your recipe. Darlene
Hi Darlene! Great to hear that! This is an easier version with different cooking method from one you tried from China town. But happy that you liked the recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback!
Hi! Looks delicious! I want to try my hand at your Chashu and your miso ramen. What kind of sake do you recommend to cook with?
Thanks!
Katie
Hi Katie! Thank you! I buy one of these 3 sake brands for cooking whenever on sale. It’s usually $5-9. 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/sake/
Hi Nami, What can I substitute pork belly with (which part of lamb or beef) and sake? thank you ????
Hi Hamad! This is a pork dish, and I haven’t tried making with lamb or beef before. Sake can be replaced with dry sherry or Chinese rice wine. 🙂
Hello 🙂
First of all I just want to say that I love all the recipes Ive seen so far and cant wait to try them out. I live in Ireland so some of the ingredients are hard to come by so I really like the substitutions you give. I have a general question about using the food thats been frozen. If i want something cold or for packed lunch, do i have to recook the frozen items like rice or the pork or can i just defrost it and then eat it? Im just curious as it had been cooked before freezing & i wouldnt need the food to be hot. I hope the question makes sense & i havent rambled too much! 🙂
Hi Trudy! Thank you so much for trying my recipes and I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them. I know how hard it is to find ingredients when you try to make authentic Japanese foods, but glad you’re finding some substitute.
About your question, what kind of frozen item you’re talking about? It’ll be very helpful for me to advise. For example, if it’s frozen broccoli that you blanched and froze, you can pack directly into your lunch box. However, if it’s meat or seafood, I feel more comfortable cooking it, cooling it down, then pack. But it depends, so let me know. 🙂
Thank you for replying 🙂
I was thinking of frozen items like cooked rice or your cooked Chashu or gyoza. If I defrosted them would it be ok to eat without reheating? If I do have to reheat them could I do it the night before and keep in the fridge until packing them the next morning? I have to get up at 6:30am so I cant imagine I’d want to reheat anything that early 😛
Hi Trudy! So I spent some time researching this topic in Japanese. I found out MOST of bento items can be put inside the lunch box while it’s frozen. By lunch time it is supposed to be defrosted. I have never tried this method except for some frozen veggies and Tamagoyaki for my kids bento, and I have never put my hommeade gyoza, korokke, chicken teriyaki etc straight to the lunch box, but it says it works. Just make sure when you pack the food to freeze or to pack into lunch box, keep your food away from bacteria – like don’t touch with your hand (use fork, chopsticks etc) and keep it safe. Hope this helps! 🙂
Thank you so much for all your effort to find out for me. That was very sweet of you. Im a very happy bunny now 🙂 I cant wait to try the rest of your recipes 🙂
My pleasure, hope you enjoy!
I just made this tonight to try for a dinner party and it is one of the yummiest things I’ve ever had. Honestly, this is unreal. I never leave comments, but couldn’t let this go unnoticed.
I’m throwing a Japanese inspired dinner party on Saturday and I’ve now used this recipe, your miso ramen, and your soy eggs. You are incredible and have the best website with recipes. Thank you so much!
Hi Ellen! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, and thank you for leaving your kind feedback here! 🙂
Good luck with the dinner party this weekend! Your guests are so lucky! 🙂 xo
Made this tonight to go with the ramen that i bought at Japan Week event in nyc. Tirned out perfect! I wish i can attach the result photo here to share with everyone!
Hi Laura! So happy to hear that you liked this recipe! There was Japan Week event in NYC? How cool! Hope many people are interested in making Japanese foods at home! I hope we can design this comment section that readers can attach the photo too… Something to consider for next blog update. 🙂 Meanwhile, feel free to post it on my Facebook page (many people do), or Instagram with hashtag #justonecookbook. I check everyone’s pictures all the time. 🙂
Hi Nami,
I was wondering if the pork belly needs to be in a block to cook this chashu? I just bought some pork belly, but it’s cut into thick strips (about 10″ x 1.5″ x 1.5″), about six pieces. Do you think it would work? Also, do you think this recipe could be adapted for the Instant Pot? Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes. I really appreciate you and Mr. JOC taking the time to shoot the videos, and writing the step by step directions with the beautiful pictures.
Hi Tiphanie! Hmm I think you can use thick strips, and it’s really up to how you want to serve it. Adjust the cooking time depends on the thickness.
I have a pressure cooker recipe similar to this.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-pork-belly-kakuni/
You can use pressure cooker to shorten the cooking time. 🙂
I’m so happy to hear you like our recipes and videos! Mr. JOC and I are really happy to hear everyone’s feedback. Thank you!!
is it possible to use pork loin for this recipe?
Hi Drisdy! You could use it, but it has less fat, so it won’t be as tender (and melting like texture) after being cooked. 🙂
I’m curious. It’s so hard to find pork belly in my area. If I had a boneless pork tenderloin, could I revamp the recipe for that? Any suggestions if I did decide to go that route? Thanks.
Hi Tina! You can use it, but it won’t be as tender as pork belly due to less fat. It will lose “melting” texture if you don’t use pork belly… Usually, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Filipino, Mexican, Italian grocery stores carry pork belly. 🙂
Lovely! Just to make sure, the pork belly block is supposed to be raw and not smoked right? Where I live Pork belly is always smoked and salty
Hi Iker! Yes, it’s raw, and not cured one (bacon). 🙂 Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Mexican grocery stores sell it (as long as I know). 🙂
Thanl you for this recipe, turned out great, I had to adjust the Quantities though. because the amount of belly in the pictures is very close to 2lb actually, I am so confused as to how the 3/4lb came to place, its is clearly a lot more, can you help me out 🙂 ?
Hi Max! I’m glad to hear yours came out well! I measure my ingredients very precisely, and it doesn’t have 2 lb. It’s actually not a big piece – mmm maybe it’s about 5.5 x 3.5? No rind attached.
Thanks for the recipe, it’s really easy and doesn’t take much time to cook. It’s my second time making chashu and the first one came out a little too dry because I used loin as I was not able to find belly. This time I couldn’t find pork belly either but I made it with shoulder instead, and it’s just delicious, it’s the perfect topping for ramen.
Thank you again, keep up the good work!
Hi Adri! Good to know the pork shoulder was a better result! Thank you for writing your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi Nami, this recipe is one of my family’s favorite! I have a question though, I am now cooking for someone who doesn’t eat rice o_0 so I wanted to ask you for any side dishes that may go well with this dish. It’s summer now and hot so I wouldn’t pair it with ramen. . .
Hi Kessia! I’m so happy to hear your family enjoy this recipe! Have you tried COLD ramen that we call “Hiyashi Chuka”?
Chashu will go REALLY well! 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/hiyashi-chuka-cold-ramen/
Hi Nami,
I really love the recipes you post on your blog.
They all look so yummy!
I would like to try making this Chasu recipe. However, i am not sure if I can replace the sake with another cooking wine. If it can be replaced, what options do I have?
Thanks!
Hi Melisa! Thank you so much for your kind words! Sorry for my late response. So… if you can’t use sake, (Chinese) rice wine, or dry sherry…. then replace it with water. Do you have any alcohol? If it’s very strong smell, then reduce the amount and mix with water. I think alcohol helps removing the unwanted smell from the pork. Hope this helps!
Hi Nami!
Thanks for your reply!
I have rice wine so I will use it instead of Sake.
Hi, may I know did you remove the rind of the pork belly in this revipe? Does it affect the meat if I don’t remove? Thanks
Hi Teo! I buy pork belly block from Japanese grocery stores and they usually remove the rind and sell. I recommend removing it so the texture is throughout the same (soft and tender without obstruction). Hope this helps!
Hi, I made this for the miso ramen tomorrow…..my meat was burnt but it still tasted quite good…..may I know if this meat is supposed to be sweet or salty? Mine tasted more salty than sweet. Am I supposed to warm up the pork tomorrow? If yes, how to warm it up as there is no more sauce all got burnt. Please help! Thanks!
Hi Teo! Thanks for trying this recipe. I’m sorry I couldn’t write you back sooner. Yeah if you want to reduce like how I did, you have to be very careful toward the end because it gets burnt easily. I stay in the kitchen and watch. It’s both salty and sweet. At the ramen shop, they don’t serve chashu warm. They usually slice and serve on top of hot noodle soup. I usually reserve the sauce so I can put the chashu in the sauce for more flavor if I want to. But the meat is already flavored so no need to soak or add sauce when you serve on the ramen. 🙂
The outside of this looks amazing and keeps drawing me back to trying this recipe. However, I am really not thrilled with how gray and dry the inside looks. definitely not as appetizing and wonder how other recipes of this kind have a much juicier center and more appealing color. any suggestions?
Hi Rylsngrd! It’s pretty fatty and juicy in my opinion (if my photography doesn’t do the justice). If you torch the pork belly, the fat just burn very quickly too. If you end up trying this recipe, let me know what you think. Many JOC fans tried this recipe and I get very positive response (and no one has said “dry” texture so far – except for people who tried with different parts of pork – this should be made with pork belly or at least pork shoulder ONLY). 🙂
Hi Nami.. new reader here.. really nice to find this blog which so easy to follow the recipe ^^
I was wondering what soy sauce brand do you use in this chashu recipe?
I use the regular Kikkoman soy sauce but the result for my chashu too salty T_T
I exactly follow your recipe.. so i don’t know where did i do wrong.. T-T
Thank you ♡
Hi Nikita! I use regular Japanese organic soy sauce (see the link below). Not reduced salt or anything.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/soy-sauce/
Each brand’s soy sauce taste differently of course, but if it’s due to cooking, it can be from cooking for a longer time (it gets saltier and saltier as water evaporate). Otherwise, probably different brand of soy sauce.
Thanks for trying this recipe! 🙂
this looks amazing! i recently came back from japand and obsessed with the idea of making myself ramen now that im back in turkey. i hope i can find some sake for this! 🙂
Hi Kat! I hope you enjoy making ramen at home! 🙂
Thank you for this post! It came out great, delicious!
So happy to hear that! Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
Can you make this in the Instant Pot? If so, would you provide instructions? Thanks!
Hi Wendy! I have similar recipe here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-pork-belly-kakuni/
Not exactly same, but similar. Maybe I’ll try chashu in IP one day. 🙂
Hi Nami – I saw you’ve got an Instant Pot (as do I!) – what do you think about doing this pork in there? Think it would work??
Hi Erin! Yeah, I’ve been enjoying using IP and it’s been working hard at least twice a week. 😀 I have IP recipes here.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/tags/pressure-cooker/
I made a similar recipe with sliced pork belly here:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-pork-belly-kakuni/
You have to preboil the pork belly though. Don’t skip that part. Compared to stovetop, the moisture won’t evaporate from IP, so the sauce will not be reduced. So you will need to adjust if you want to use this specific recipe for IP. 🙂
I don’t have Japanese butcher in my area in Dallas, TX….and have never seen “Pork Belly” sold at a chain grocery store. They do sell what’s called “Salt Pork” in a small slab (used to flavor beans, etc.). Is that essentially the same thing?
Salt pork is not the same thing. That is a cured meat like bacon. It would be far too salty for chashu. Pork belly is just that, basically raw uncured bacon meat. I am able to get this through my butcher for about 8 dollars a lb. but I recently found an international grocery store named Saraga that carries this for about half the price as the butcher. …among many many other ingredients that were previously hard to come by! My new favorite store for sure!
And just to clarify, the salt pork we get here is in fact made with pork belly. But like I said, it’s cured and too salty to be able to use for this. Try a butcher. They should be able to get it. There’s a ton of pork in Texas, shouldn’t be that tough to find.
Thank you Kiethb for answering for me! Pork belly can be found in Japanese, Korean, Chinese market, as well as Mexican butcher. It’s very common, and I’m pretty sure you can find in Texas (and all the bbq meat… yum!). It’s not salt pork, it’s just raw pork belly. Good luck finding! 🙂
This recipe is amazing. My family doesn’t say wow very often. But they all did with this one. Surprisingly simple but so enjoyable. Now that I’ve sourced great pork belly at a great price, making this again tomorrow. Thanks for this. Love amazing recipes that are easy to make.
Kieth
Hi Keithb! I’m so happy to hear you and your family liked this recipe! Thank you for trying my recipe and for your kind feedback. 😀
Hey Nami! I have made this recipe numerous times and I love it! I just got an instant pot for Christmas so I think it would be awesome to have a pressure cooker version of this recipe!
Hi Lindsay! Thank you so much for using my recipe! Yay for getting the instant pot! I have similar pork belly recipe using the pressure cooker. 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-pork-belly-kakuni/
I’m going to get a Dutch oven for this. What size do you recommend? What did you use for this recipe?
Hi Shuichi! I use this 4.5 QT Dutch oven: https://amzn.to/3hmIUsg. 🙂
This looks like a very easy recipe! Can you make a ramen broth from the sauce left over at the bottom? If so, what other ingredients would you recommend for the broth? Just stock?
I wouldn’t use it as a ramen “stock”. But it’s great seasoning base for your ramen. You will need good stock for your ramen, but you place this sauce on the bottom, pour the ramen stock and mix. Most of ramen shop has this “tare (sauce)” for the broth. This can be used as that. 🙂
Is sake optional?
Hi Teresa! Sake in Japanese cooking is very important, and it’s one of essential ingredients. Sake remove unwanted smell from the meat and it also adds some sweetness from fermented rice (that’s sake made of). If you can’t get sake easily, you can use Chinese rice wine or dry sherry. 🙂
Hello, I love your blog and videos. Really inspire me to cook, and I just can’t get enough of Japanese food! <3
I really want to try this recipe. But since I don't eat pork, was wondering if I can replace the protein to beef. And if it is possible, which cut would you suggest to use? Many thanks! 🙂
Hi Nia! Thank you for reading my blog and watching my videos! I’m happy to hear you like Japanese food. 🙂 Probably ribeye or chuck? I have never made this dish with beef, and I hope it’ll work if you try. 🙂
Whipped up this and the ramen eggs to go with dinner one night
Absolute hit, the pork was the favourite of the night
Definitely storing this recipe to make it again
Thank you!!
Hi Larissa! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for taking your time to write your kind feedback! 🙂 xo
I made this today to go on top of some tonkotsu ramen. Definitely the best chashu recipe I have tried! Also a really good option if you are only cooking a couple of belly pork slices rather than a whole piece, as the cooking liquid along with the otoshibuta really retains the moisture. I should have left the pork to cool before slicing to get cleaner slices, but I was too impatient to get stuck in. Yum
Hi Claire! Thank you so much for your kind feedback, and I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. Yes, otoshibuta technique is amazing and it makes a difference. Thank you again!
wow this looks so yummy, I can’t to make it for my family!
Hi Jodel! I hope your family will enjoy this recipe! 🙂
looks awesome cant wait to try it!
Hi Danh! Hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Hi, may I know do you remove the skin from the pork belly? Thanks!
Hi Teo! My pork belly block doesn’t come with skin as Japanese grocery stores already remove it. I’m not sure where you get but you can ask the butcher to do it for you. I’ve seen on Youtube channel how to remove the skin… but it might be a bit difficult…
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it. Just a question, if I don’t have a drop lid, can I use a normal, smaller pot lid that can fit in the bigger pot I’ll be using? Thanks so much for sharing your recipes!
Hi Amanda! I hope you will enjoy this recipe! Hmm I’d recommend using aluminum or parchment paper since holes are important to let the steam escape a little bit.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how_to/how-to-make-otoshi-buta/
Hi Nami! Do you have an Instant Pot version of this? Would be just as good?
Thanks!
Darlene
Hi Darlene! I have a similar recipe but not chashu…
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-pork-belly-kakuni/
Nami, have you try making chashu in Instant Pot ? Is it doable ?
I have similar recipe but not chashu. https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-pork-belly-kakuni/
Oops, sorry I didn’t read your question carefully. Yes, you can. 🙂
Would this recipe work well for a bento? I have some pork belly and want to try this for packed lunches.
Hi Josh! Sure! Hope you enjoy the recipe. 🙂
Love this! I tried it and it tastes awesome <3
I want to use my chashu for a ramen topping as a surprise for my sister ^^
Hi Brenda! Hope she will enjoy the chashu with ramen! 🙂 Thank you for trying my recipe and for your kind feedback. 🙂
If I dont have sake or rather not cook with alcohol, is there.any substitute? Would like to know substitute for sake and also if I had to cook for a sober friend and no alcohol can be used. Thanks!
Hi Sam! You can replace with water. Sake helps remove unwanted smell from the pork and tenderize as well as adding umami from the fermented rice. All the alcohol content will be evaporated while cooking, just in case if you wonder it has some alcohol effect.
This recipe is delicious! I modified mine for my cuisinart electric pressure cooker as follows:
Brown the pork in 2 tbsp safflower oil on the Browning setting. Add all the ingredients; subbing 3/4 cup green onion for negi. Place metal bowl, which fits inside cooker, on top of pork and fill with 1 cup water. Set to high for 20 minutes. Natural release. Remove water from bowl with scoop or baster. Remove bowl with tongs (hot!!!). Then remove pork and set aside. Turn cooker to Browning to reduce liquid. Shred the pork with two forks and toss in sauce. Done 🙂
Oh, I also substituted the sake with mirin. 1:1.
Great, thank you for letting us know. 🙂
Hi Vira! I’m glad you liked the recipe! Thank you for sharing your modification with us! 🙂
Made this today to put in our ramen bowls tonight. Turned out great, my son asked if I had bought Chashu at a Japanese restaurant to put into our dinner.
Hi Ruthie! Thank you for trying this recipe! I’m so happy yours came out well and your son likes it too. 🙂
The Chasu looks amazing! Do you think you can make this in an Instant Pot?
Hi Katherine! Yes, you can, but I haven’t made the pressure cooker version yet (I have pressure cooker pork belly – similar to Japanese kakuni recipe).
Hey Nami,
The Kakiniku looks wonderful. Quick question- will this work if I put the pork belly in a slow cooker at ‘low’ setting, instead of using the stove? Do I still have to use the Otoshibuta while using the slow cooker? Thanks!!
Hi Arulselvi! Yes, you can use a slow cooker (for the final cooking time). Hmmm I never used the otoshibuta in a slow cooker, and I don’t know about the safety if we use it, so I will not advice (unless someone tried and thinks it’s okay). 🙂
one of the best things i’ve ever tasted!
Hi Cameron! Thank you so much for your kind words! So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
I love this recipe! It would be awesome if you made an instant pot version of it to save time 😉
Hi Amber! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’ll try that one day. I have a similar version here:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-pork-belly-kakuni/
Can you please teach this in the instant pot ? Thank you.
Hi Rob! Maybe one day… I have similar recipe here:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-pork-belly-kakuni/
Hope you enjoy!
Hi Nami and family! Rightnow im pregnant and craving for chashu. I wonder if i can leave or substitute the sake for something?
Thank you in advance
HI Eli! Congratulations on your pregnancy! In Japan, we consider “okay” to use sake in cooking as long as it’s cooked and let the alcohol evaporate. As this recipe involves pork, which can be quite smelly, sake is essential in the recipe to remove the odor. If you don’t care, you can replace it with water, but sake also includes umami from fermented rice and it won’t be same with water at the end. Hope that helps!
For sake substitutes, apparently you can use the same amount with a mix of white grape juice and rice wine vinegar. 1 part grape juice and 2 parts rice wine vinegar. I’ve been fairly pleased with the results of this substitution myself, so it’s worth a try! 🙂
This recipe is fantastic: simple and quick but with a lot of flavor! I used a leaner cut instead of porc belly, and the result was delicious.
Hi Rolanda! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for writing your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi! I love this recipe! I am not sure hoe much pork belly to buy… 3/4 lb translates to 340 kilogram… But that does not look like much… can you help me out? Nienke, from the Netherlands
Hi Nienke! Thank you for trying this recipe! Oh no no, 3/4 lb is 340 GRAMS. Not Kilograms. 🙂 Japanese grocery stores that sell pork belly block is usually 3/4 to 1 lb. You can make double amount if you like, but increase the seasoning too. 🙂
is it possible to use any other cut of pork? I’m having difficulty finding pork belly near me!
Hi Stephanie! This recipe is almost always pork belly, but you can use pork shoulder. Much less fat, but as long as it’s okay, you can use the shouldefr instead. 🙂
Hi! May I know why my pork is still so hard after the gravy has already dried up. It is braised in the lowest flame but yet. Kindly help. Thanks!
Hello! So you’re using pork belly, right? And you used a drop lid all the time? I don’t know why it would dry up when there is a drop lid right on top of the pork belly. Do you know when it started to be dry?
Love ramen and would love to make my own Chashu. Going to Japan this month. Any idea where I can buy a otoshibuta?
Hi Carrie! I like my adjustable stainless steel one. If you find a supermarket store which has a second floor, usually it has a kitchen section upstairs (and all the other house stuff like toilet paper etc). Otoshibuta is an essential tool, so you can definitely find there as long as you find a kitchen store. Big cities always have TokyuHands (they sell EVERYTHING), so you can count on that store. There is a kitchen floor on the upper building. If you need more help, email me. 🙂
Thanks Nami! So how is it different from using the normal lid? (BTW, I am addicted to Just One Cookbook. My go to recipes site now!)
Hi Carrie! Glad you asked! Here’s the post I talked about why we use an Otoshibuta in Japanese cooking.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-otoshi-buta/
I’m so happy to hear you enjoy reading my blog! Thank you so much for using my recipes! 🙂
Can I replace sale with mirin?
Hi Cindy! Sake is just rice wine, and mirin is sweetened alcohol. You can replace with each other by adjusting the sweetener (sugar). 🙂
Hello. I made this on the weekend last minute (ish). Absolutely brilliant. Easy and great flavour. This recipes a keeper! Thank you
Hi Tally! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Many thanks for the recipe! The meat has become very tasty! Greetings!
* I’ve made some more recipes from your blog and will soon share them 🙂
Hi Ekaterina! I’m so glad to hear that yours came out well. Thank you for trying this recipe and for your kind words! xo
I think this recipe is really great! This time I made a Mediterranean variation replacing all the liquids with dry white wine and substituting ginger and green onions with garlic, shallots and rosemary. I did use some sugar and a stock cube. But I think that using the otoshibuta lid made all the difference: excellent Italian style chashu!!!
Hi Rolanda! Than you so much for your kind words. How cool that you made a Mediterranean variation! Thanks for sharing it with us!! I LOVE IT!!!!
I just made this for rhe first time and WOW!! Awesome recipe, and while it takes a bit for the sauce to boil down, it os NOT hard to make. Definitely making this again!
Hi Jess! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it. 🙂 Thanks for the kind feedback! xoxo
Thank you so much for writing out such beautiful recipes! They’re absolutely spectacular, and my new favourite! ^.^
Thank you so much for the kind words, Rianna! Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Looks delicious! Can I use my instant pot for this recipe?
Hi Marie! Not exactly same, but I have a similar recipe here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-pork-belly-kakuni/
Hello! I made this before and it was fabulous. Thank you so much 🙂 my question is: am I able to make this chashu in a multi cooker please? I bought one recently which can pressure cook and slow cook. Would I be able to use my multicooker for this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Simone! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe and thank you for your kind feedback. Yes, you can use a pressure cooker to make this recipe. I have a similar recipe here on my site (with video): https://www.justonecookbook.com/pressure-cooker-pork-belly-kakuni/ Hope you enjoy!
Thank you for your reply! My pork belly was skinless, and I think I did everything right – the results looked just like yours! Ultimately, I think this is just a case of different tastes. I love most of your recipes. This just wasn’t for us. 😔
Hi Amanda! I understand. Pork belly is delicious when it’s cooked right, yet I only eat a small portion because I do not enjoy the fat. I just feel bad that you had to go through all the cooking and you didn’t enjoy… I’m very sorry about that. Thank you for writing back! xo
Nami-san Konnichi-wa. Here in Texas it is day time. I am looking for a recipe for Char Siu that is a little more every day like you get in the restaurants around Tokyo. I am using pork loin sirloin and my only recipe right now is a simmering method. Do you have any other recipes besides the one in the cookbook or will that work on any pork loin meat? Thanks in advance. Hope all is well.
Hi William! Pork loin will be too tough in my opinion. You will need some fatty cut to make this dish. If it’s “Char Siu” that you tried in Tokyo, was it in Chinese restaurant? Char siu and Japanese “Shashu” (like one on ramen) is slightly different. Japanese changed up so it’s not authentic Char Siu anymore….
I am talking about Japanese restaurants but maybe I am just thinking how it looks. I guess if you wrap it real tight it will look like pork loin anyhow. But they cut it thinner too I think. I am going to try your recipe as written next time and see if I can do it without messing it up. Thanks for the response. Hope all is well with you. I love your recipes
Hi William! Oh so what you’re talking about is those thinly sliced chashu on top of ramen, right? Most places use pork belly or pork shoulder and roll up (and tine with kitchen twine). You can use the same recipe but will need a bit more liquid as your block of meat will be bigger. 🙂 Thank you so much for reading my blog!
Hi Nami! This looks amazing as always! However I’m wondering what happened to your yakibuta recipe? I followed that to the T all the time and I can’t find it anywhere now 🙁 Will give this one a go!!
Hi Jean! I’m so glad you like this recipe! The original recipe is still here.
In the post, I talked about rolled vs non-rolled chashu, and in the recipe card, I have the ingredients and new step by step images for the original version (the one you like).
With many readers’ request, I had to update this post including the rolled chashu and I can’t have the same recipe name “Chashu” for SEO reason so I had to combine into one post. I’ll be sharing the updated rolled chashu video this week.
I’m very sorry for the confusion.
Hi Nami. Thanks for the detail instructions and the chashu looks so yummy. Have you tried making it in an instant pot or using souvide? Any suggestions on those hands-off methods? Thanks.
Hi Karen! I’ve tried with the Instant Pot. The part that I didn’t like is that you need more amount of each condiment to cook in the Instant Pot because you can’t keep rotating the meat… If you are making a lot of chashu in one pot, you probably feel okay using that much condiment. Ramen shops keep using the same sauce (and add a new ratio of each condiment to fill up what’s evaporated in the previous batch). But at home, we don’t make chashu every day and don’t make a lot of it… so you will end up with a lot of leftover sauce. I haven’t tried sous vide yet but I can imagine it’s a better choice. 🙂
I always wondered why you didn’t roll it. Rolling it is the only way 🙂
I cook mine on the lowest heat for around four hours, comes out beautifully.
Good video on how to tie a butcher’s knot https://youtu.be/lxvUhBPkoLM.
You can also use the leftover liquid for making menma which is a must for ramen, well for me anyway.
Next thing to try, Japanese pork belly. I’ve always shied away from buying it as it’s twice the price, but I decided to try some Japanese pork loin and its so much better than pork from any other country. Definitely worth the extra cost.
Hi Angelo! I cook this recipe for a long long time, and I usually get my pork belly block from a Japanese grocery store. They only carry the pork belly size 4″ x 5″…good for Kakuni but can’t roll for chashu. Most Japanese home cook makes unrolled chashu because we don’t need that much meat. 😉 The size was enough for me and Mr. JOC for a while, but as kids are older, we started to drive far to visit a Korean grocery store where we can ask for a big pork belly block! We now go to a Korean market every other month to stock on some big chunk of meat Japanese grocery stores don’t carry. 🙂
How long does a piece of Pork Belly need to be to get a good roll?
Hi Paul! It’s roughly 9″ x 8″ I think… 🙂
How long is the foodsaver bag that u cut for this recipe? I tried it and the paper towel gets completely soaked and then into the drip tray of my machine. I am using the amount of sauce the recipe asks. I put my chasu in a container this time, but I really want to use the foodsaver for this resting stage next time.
Hi Sonda! I don’t have the measurement with me but it’s 12-14 inches? But the key is to seal up the paper towel on both ends. If there is a gap (one side or both sides), the liquid will go through it. So you have to fold it perfectly so the liquid won’t go from anywhere. We have done the cleanup before so I know exactly what you had to go through (I don’t like the cleaning the drip tray!). Hope next time will work. 🙂
Can you make this charsiu in Instantpot?
Hi Mark! You can, but I didn’t want to use up so much condiment as I don’t reuse the sauce enough. The roll should be covered when pressure cooking. And you need a lot more to fill up. 🙂
I am going to attempt making this dish today! I really hope I don’t mess it up because it looks SO GOOD!!
I don’t have access to the green onion you use, my local Asian market doesn’t seem to carry them, and another site said I could use either scallions or leeks. So I will try it with both. LOL
I am very happy to have found this recipe! Chashu is one of my favorite ramen toppings!
Hi Vikki! Hope this recipe came out well. And what you did was right. I’d use both, or just more green onions in this recipe. Thank you for trying it out! 🙂
Hi Nami!
It came out AMAZING!! I am SO happy I tried it! I was a bit too intimidated to try it before. This is going to be a regular dish here! Thank you so much for posting it!
Hi Vikki! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
I just made on Sunday together with the marinated eggs. Thank you for sharing your recipe. My husband loved the taste and wanted to have chashu don tonight!
I made the non-rolled version because I didn’t have any kitchen twine on hand. But this will not be the last time I will make this so I will surely try the rolled one next time. Greetings from the Philippines 🙂
Hi Max-C! I’m so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed chashu! Thank you for trying this recipe! I hope you like the rolled version too. 🙂 Thank you for your kind feedback.
Hello Nami,
I really enjoy your helpful recipes. I already subscribe to your e-newsletter for the most up to date info. So far, I have tried Instant Pot curry and Cold ramen. I would really like to try making this Chashu and make Miso ramen. If I were to make this Chashu on Instant Pot, how long should I pressure cook it for?
Thanks again for great recipes.
Julie
Hi Julie! Thank you so much for trying my recipes! I thought of making this in the instant pot, but you will need to cover the pork with sauce and this recipe won’t be enough so you have to make more sauce. I haven’t give it a try yet as I don’t want to waste the cooking sauce. Since I haven’t tested, I’m not sure what’s the right cooking time. Sorry…
Thank you the reply 🙂
Hi, Nami. I made 500g of chashu (non-rolled) for ramen dinner at home last week and everyone loved it! I think I must have done something wrongly though; although I simmered the pork belly for almost 2 hours, it still wasn’t fork-tender and the flavours did not seep much into the meat. It was still delicious, but I think I need more practice to get it perfect! Also there was much more than half-inch of liquid left in the pot after the 2 hours. Perhaps my fire was too low? Would this affect how the meat soaks up the liquid? The liquid was bubbling gently throughout though. I also made Ajitsuke Tamago (absolutely delicious!) with the leftover liquid, but am still left with quite a bit of the liquid. Can I marinade cod steaks with the liquid? If so, how should I go about doing this? Thank you for your advice.
Hi Elaine! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! Hmmm… I’m not too sure, but maybe you could simmer a bit longer especially you had enough liquid to cook more. You could use the leftover liquid for cod steak. Make sure it’s boiled and cool down first before using it.
This went really, horribly badly for me. I had two beautiful slabs of non rolled pork belly. At the third turning in the sauce, both were burnt to the bottom of the pan in a hot sticky mess. Not anywhere near enough liquid even with the drop lid and a pot lid.
All the fat is gone from the meat, one side is fully burnt, now trying to save my pot and drop lid from being ruined. I was watching it closely, it was simmering happily, and then very suddenly turned on me. Super disappointed. Not at all clear what is supposed to happen.
Hi Marble! Thank you for trying this recipe and I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. From reading your comment, I felt like your heat was too strong. If you simmer, this should not happen. One thing I also noticed is that you cover the drop lid AND pot lid. When you use a drop lid, you do not need to close the pot lid. When you also use a pot lid, that’s when you need to save the cooking sauce. In this recipe, you need to reduce the sauce to thicken slowly. If you cover with the pot lid, you can’t evaporate the sauce. However, it looks like your sauce was completely gone and ended up burning. This seems like your heat was too strong and the sauce was overboiled. If you use the lower heat, the liquid will not evaporate for a long time and you are supposed to check to make sure you have enough sauce at the bottom of the pot. Hope this helps!
Dear Nami
This recipe is just awesome. I have made it for the third time and it always turns out perfect. The taste is no less than those found in an authentic Japanese Restuarant. My family including my 2 fussy young kids could finish 200g of meat at each seating. The best part are: it is so easy and fuss free to make (minimal cleaning of the kitchen) and I can freeze into portions for later use. Thank you thank you sooo much for sharing this recipe.
Hi Cynthia! Wow you made it for the 3rd time! I’m so happy!! Haha your children are awesome. Hope they enjoy the Chashu Fried Rice that I posted recently (I use the leftover chashu). My kids love it! Thank you for your kind feedback. xoxo
Should I dilute the cooking sauce before using it to make ramen eggs?
Hi Long! You can, if you want to marinate for a longer time. Or you can marinate for a short time in this cooking sauce. 🙂
Excellent recipe. Easy to follow and very tasty with minimal ingredients required.
Hi Min! Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi Nami,
I’ve tried both the rolled and unrolled versions of this recipe and both times I’ve found the liquid to evapourate too quickly! The first time was probably due to not using a heavy based pan and not being able to control a simmer properly. This resulted in the cooking liquid burning and ruining the attempt obviously! This time I had a heavy based pan and was doing the unrolled version. The liquid amount for the 340g piece of pork seems to be nowhere near enough? It looked quite low before I even started cooking and by 35 minutes if I hadnt of stopped the process would have burnt again!
Was wondering if you had any suggestions to overcome the issues I’ve been having.
Hi Ollie! My first question is… do you use an Otoshibuta? You really need it. It’s not just the lid, but it presses down the meat, limits evaporation, and helps the simmering liquid circulate while coating the meat constantly. It’s REALLY important. In my step 4 picture of instructions (the slab one), you see the same amount of liquid as yours?
Another guess is that your pot is too big for your meat so the liquid is spread out (more evaporation surface)? If so, use a smaller one, which brings the liquid to be higher and covers more meat. I make this all the time, so I know the liquid should not be the issue if you use the same amount of meat. Hmmm what else can you do… maybe increase the portion of sauce a bit more if you still have the issue… Hope this helps!
Hi Nami,
Yeah I use an otoshibuta. When doing the slab my liquid looked a lot less than yours. I also thought it maybe my pan being too big for what I was cooking. The next time I make the recipe is using rolled pork belly again. I think with the pan I have now it’ll probably be a better success. I only have another 3 slabs to do if I want to, so if I do them next time Ill either increase the amount of liquid or use a smaller pan and see what happens!
Thanks for the help as always. 🙂 The chashu I made last time although the liquid almost evaporated was still cooked through but probably not as tender as it could have been. Still delicious in my first bowl of shouyo ramen! 😀
Hi Ollie! Thank you for your response! Please keep me posted, and good luck with your next batch! 🙂
Hi Nami,
So I am trying to make some kind of pork topping for Ramen, but nobody in my family enjoys fatty meats. All the fatty parts would have to be cut off before serving. Can this dish be made with a different cut of meat, like pork shoulder or country style ribs?
Hi Kathrin! You “can” but it’ll be less flavorful and tender. Try it with pork shoulder and let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hi Nami! Thanks for the great and easy recipes as always!! I have a quick question, I recently found out I’m pregnant and realized I will need to start finding alternatives for cooking with sake/mirin. Do you have any tips for alternatives?
Hi Kari! If the recipe (like this) calls for simmering the sake/mirin, there should not be any alcohol left in the sauce, so you can consume. But if the recipe calls for sake/mirin that doesn’t cook at all, then alcohol still stays, so you may want to avoid. FYI, pregnant Japanese ladies cook Japanese food daily with sake and mirin. Just make sure to cook it until you don’t smell alcohol (1-2 mins max). 🙂
Hi Nami,
I always enjoy your site and thank you for the detailed recipe for making chashu. Would this recipe work on making a chicken chashu in your opinion? My wife doesn’t like pork belly but she loves chicken. Perhaps, chicken breast outside and thigh inside rolled version might work?
Hi Steve! Hmm I don’t’ think chicken is fatty enough to make this way, but you can definitely season the rolled chicken with this sauce. Don’t overcook the chicken though. 🙂
Can I replace sake with Mirin? I do not have sake at home.
Hi Carrie! Sake is not sweetened, so if you add mirin (that’s sake and sugar), you have to adjust the sweetness in the recipe. You can use Chinese rice wine, dry sherry, if you don’t have sake. 🙂
Hello! Great recipe, I just have one question. Does the rolled Chashu have to sit overnight, and if so can I leave it longer?
Hi Elizabeth! Thank you! Yes, you can keep it longer too. But it gets saltier so decide when it’s the right timing for you. 🙂
Hi Nami,
Thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe. It taste perfect just as the ramen shops. I have simmered the pork belly ( rolled) in a cast iron pot for 2 hours… left to cool for 2 hours and simmered again for another hour.
The texture is a bit hard and not melting in mouth. Have a missed any steps? Do you recommend using pressure cooker or sous vide (just like what ippudo also have?)
Great thanks!
Hi Howard! Thank you for trying my recipe! So… you cooked for 3 hours? Hmmm. The more you cook, the fat will render and will dry out. That’s why rolled one tends to be moister than unrolled chashu. Did your pork belly have good fat? When I sear the sliced chashu, it has good fat that makes it tender. You can use a pressure cooker, if you are going to double the liquid recipe (make sure it’s submerged enough). Sous vide can be a good option, but I have never tried (not everyone has one, so I didn’t think about using it for this recipe).
Hi. Is there a way to make this in the instant pot? I could not find a log of pork belly but Costco had thick slices of it (2 inches x 2 inches 8 inches long) Wanted to see if I can make Chashu with the smaller pieces of meat in the instant pot. Thanks for the recipe! I have made so many of your recipes. And all have turned out delicious.
Hi Susan! You can… but you should increase the sauce so the meat will stay in the sauce while being cooked (as you can’t rotate during the cooking). I think you can make the slab version (although fat will render more as you don’t roll, and can be drier). 🙂
What kind of sake do you use for the recipe?
Hi Leah! I use this inexpensive, but drinkable sake: https://www.justonecookbook.com/sake/
no idea why they compare this to Char Sui. Char Sui is BBQ. Chinese Dung Po is braised pork belly, much more similar to this. Almost identical ingredients. Dung Po is 1” cubes of pork belly first boiled briefly to remove impurities, then browned in a pan to develop flavor via Mailard reaction, then slowly braised for 1-2 hours in soy sauce, Chinese rock sugar, scallions and rice wine. It’s basically the same recipe, slightly different procedures. But easier to freeze small portions because the Dung Po is in 1” cubes. The leftover cooking liquid is equally awesome. I often make “souped up ramen” with Dung Po from my freezer, a couple shrimp, rehydrated black fungus (called woodear mushrooms in US), rehydrated Shitake, scallions, julienned carrot, and hot chili oil or black garlic oil.
Hi Eve! The comparison of the two names is because of their name similarity. Somehow the Japanese named this dish “chashu” like Char Siu even though the cooking method is quite different…
Nami! Thank you so much for all your hard work and wonderful help. I have already used your recipe for pork belly several times, but I tried it with pork butt (shoulder) roast today and it was great. Pork shoulder is a great substitute for me becuase it is very hard to find high quality pork belly where I live. I’m so excited to know that pork shoulder can be just as good for this recipe. Thanks again for everything you do. 🙂
Hi Brett! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback on pork butt (shoulder). I’m glad you get to make it more often from now on. 😀 Thanks again, Brett!
Hi Nami,
Both of my kids really love chasu topping on ramen. And now I want to try to make it at home! Thanks to your recipe..
I have a question though. Do you think I can cook the chasu in instant pot after searing? Thanks!
Hi Leony! I’m sure you could, but you’ll have to use more seasoning to cover the chashu and the sauce won’t be reduced because of enclosed cooking. I feel it’s a bit of waste to use huge amount of condiments and I prefer reducing and thickening the sauce as we cook the chashu… so I don’t use IP for this recipe. 🙂
Did you ever need to add some water during the 2 hours?
I kept it at low heat and it reduced so much in the end it burnt and the liquid was a thick grainy paste. I even added water after the second flip. I thought there was enough liquid for the last 30 min without adding water but I was wrong.
Hi Albert! Did you put a Drop Lid (Otoshibuta) on top all times (See step 4 and 5)? It’s not a lid that covers 100% but it should cover most of it that will prevent the liquid from evaporating while it presses down the meat and help to circulate the cooking liquid on top of the meat. The liquid will be slowly reduced but not that fast. We do not need to add water. It seems like your heat was too strong or you didn’t cover with the drop lid at all?
I didnt have one, so I grabbed some foil and made it look like the one you made (I didn’t look at the directions on making one, I just folded some foil and poked a few holes). The heat setting was on the lowest, but maybe it got too hot over time. The bottom of the chashu burnt a bit when it touched the pot and sauce was like burnt teriyaki, so I decided to lightly rinse the outside of the meat for a few seconds so it doesn’t marinate in burnt sauce overnight. I lightly brushed some fresh soy sauce and a little sugar before I put it in the fridge. Still turned out pretty good! Didn’t taste the burnt parts at all. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Albert! Thank you so much for your response! Hmmm maybe your heat was strong. I have a pretty powerful stove compared to a normal gas stove, and maybe yours too. When my gas stove has to be “low heat”, I know it means even lower heat in a standard stove. I’m glad you could still manage to rescue your chashu (after spending so much time cooking it). Thank you again for trying this recipe!
Thank you so much for this recipe. My favorite parts of ramen are both the char shu and boiled egg!
But mostly thank you for the small block version. That’s perfect for me and with the substitution of a sugar substitute it’s totally Keto if that’s all I eat!!!
Thank you!!
Hi Marlene! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for your kind feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I’ve tried many of your recipes and they are great. Your site is my go-to when it comes to Jap food. I am going to try this soon. Since there are so many comments to this post, I was really hoping to find some reviews. To my disappointment I’ve not found any reviews from people who’ve tried making this recipe. I wonder why.
Hi Gemma! You’re probably reading the comments on the top area… I’ve been blogging for a long time, and this recipe was originally published 8-9 years ago. Back in the days, food bloggers used to “blog hop” different food blogs to leave a kind comment to support each other. And I think you’re reading those comments? They are not fake comments, but they are like “This looks great! I want to make it!” type of comments. 🙂 In fall 2018 we implemented comment tabs that you can click to see General, Review, and Question to avoid reading entire comments (some recipes have many real comments). This tab is currently (May 2020) not working but my developer is fixing now, so it should work soon, in case you want to only read reviews that were added after fall 2018. The commenters can click on the box to categorize their comment is general, review, or question, which will sort my comment section (if they help participate). Hope I answered your question. Chashu is always one of my popular recipes, so I can imagine total number of comments to load will take some time (and newer comments are bottom – maybe I could reverse it – I have to think about it).
Thank you Nami for your reply. Appreciate it.
I think if you show the latest comments of people who’ve made this recipe, it will be more helpful as most people read comments to know what are the common mistakes to take note of and tweaks the home cooks may have made to the recipe.
Hi Gemma! I’ll ask the developer if we can change it. Thank you so much for your feedback! 🙂
I’ve just deleted 140 comments from other bloggers (wow, very nostalgic comments from 2011!). Now all the comments should be from the readers. Hopefully it’s less crowded. I try to address all the issues/faqs in the post when readers point out and I didn’t explain in the post clearly. And I’m still waiting for the comment tabs to get fixed… hopefully it’ll be easier to read through comments.
Nami, thank you for your response and reorganising the comments. It is very helpful!
With being stuck at home I have been experimenting with new recipes. This Chashu made my ramen dinner. It had amazing flavor and well worth the waiting overnight. I used the the sauce to make soft boiled eggs and they too were amazing. I will be making this again. Now I just need to figure out the ramen broth.
Hi Kelly! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! So glad you enjoyed it along with ramen eggs. 🙂 I’m happy to hear that you are experimenting with new recipes.
I couldn’t resist buying the whole slab of pork belly from Costco today and can’t wait to make a double portion of this recipe. What’s better to do than reading your wonderful website and cooking during shelter-in-place. I hope the quality of meat is as good as the ones in the Japanese market. I read in your comments that you often make 2 rolls at once and was wondering if you use more than 1 recipe of sauce. With the left over sauce, can I freeze and reuse for making future chashus – kind of like the “master sauce” for Chinese braising? In one of the earlier comments, someone asked about konbu cha… but i didn’t see it in the ingredients…did I miss something? One more question: do you know where in the Bay Area I can buy the adjustable metal otoshibuta like yours? Thanks again for all of your good work. Just love everything you are doing. Stay safe and healthy 😃
Hi Karen! Yes, you can freeze the leftover sauce, I use to marinate eggs etc. However, I do not use it to cook future chashu with this thick sauce – easy to burn and sake is evaporated already etc. However, like you said, you can use it as a master sauce and add more new condiments.
My original recipe that I posted in 2011 had konbucha insteaad of salt. If you can get it at a Japanese grocery store, you can definitely use it. It adds a nice “secret” flavor. As most people can’t get it, I simplify this recipe with salt.
The adjustable metal otoshisbuta can be found here (so far that’s one I found): https://mtckitchen.com/adjustable-stainless-steel-drop-lid-otoshibuta/
Hello Nami,
There’s a little experiment with this recipe that’s worth trying out. The idea is to use bacon for the non-rolled version. Why bacon you might ask? Well, bacon is pork belly that has been subjected to a process known as curing which is basically the means of how the pork belly is preserved. The process uses both smoking, sugars, and salts to allow the bacon to keep for a long time. It also adds favor to the pork belly as well.
Do share your opinion as well,
Scott E. Sargent
Hi Scott! Oh I’d love to know how it’s like using bacon! My only worry is the salt level as we want to use soy sauce to flavor this…
Hello, just a quick question about the drop lid- do I put normal pot lid on whilst using the drop lid to simmer?
Thanks for your recipe!
– Helen
Hi Helen! No, not for this recipe, or whenever you want to reduce the sauce. 🙂
Hi Nami!
I love all your recipes! The miso ramen recipe was a success but the chashu I made to pair with it using this recipe came out tough still. Is there a way to re-cook it so that it tenderizes? I think my cut of rolled pork belly was thicker than what the recipe called for so maybe I didn’t simmer it on the stove long enough 🙁
Hi Grace! Thanks for trying my Miso Ramen recipe too! Hmmm… that’s possible. If it’s related to the chashu’s temperature (chilled etc), you could bring it back to the room temperature or use the torch to warm up the chashu and melt fat too. But from the way you describe, it might be related to cooking time – you may need to increase on the cooking liquid so you have enough sauce to cook for a longer time.
Good Afternoon!
I am about to make this tonight and I was wondering if I have two 1 lb pork belly do I have two double the recipe and cook them on a same pot or should I cook them on different pots?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Angeline! It depends on the size of a pot (if you use a large wide pot, then you won’t have enough liquid to cover). 🙂
hello! I’m looking for some advice; I was only able to find thinly sliced pork belly at my market. Is there any way I can make some sort of chashu-like dish with that? I’m making ramen for dinner and we love chashu but I’m worried I won’t be able to emulate it with such thin strips. If not possible, is there another suggestion on how to cook thin pork belly without it getting too crunchy? Thanks!!
Hi Lauren! You can definitely cook it but this method tends to be a bit too much for thinly sliced pork belly that will become tender quickly. I would simmer in the sauce and it should be okay. 🙂
Tried this last night (non-rolled pork belly) and it was a hit! The pork belly I used were thinner than they should have been but I know better for next time. Thanks for the very detailed explanation, it was helpful every step of the way.
Hi Candy! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it and thanks for your kind feedback! When you pick pork belly, get a good one (more pink meat, less white fat). 😀
How to make chicken chasu like the video?. Thx. I love your recipes.
Hi Victory! Hmm we don’t really make this dish with chicken as it lacks the fat. We would cook differently, as it does not require a long braising time. 🙂
Hi! Is there a way I can make this using sliced pork belly? It is all I have in my fridge right now! Looks delicious 🙂
Hi Ange,
You don’t need to pre-boil the pork and start seasoning it!
It’s thinly sliced and will cook faster, no need to cook for that long, and don’t need much condiment as well.
I hope this is helpful.
Thanks for this. It’s not clear to me whether the skin should be left on or not. I’m assuming not. If you left the skin on it would require an additional step to crisp the skin up.
Hi Mark,
It should be no skin.
Nami mentioned in the recipe STEP 1: If your slab comes with the skin (rind), it should be facing out. My block does not come with it. See Notes if you want to remove it.
I hope this helps!🙂
Hi Nami,
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a long time. Not sure if the question has been asked already because there are a LOT of comments! I’m really excited to make this next week but I don’t mind cooking the chashu for long periods of times. Would simply leaving the chashu to simmer in the sauce for many more hours/days make the meat more tender or might I overcook it? If you have any updates wrt an instantpot recipe I would love to know please! Thanks 🙂
Hi Ayano!
If you plan to cook for a longer time, you need to increase the cooking liquid instead of evaporating.
As Nami mentioned in the recipe, this seasoning is just enough for this recipe (and cooking time). If you want to cook for a tiny bit more, you can get away with adding some water, too. Unlike Kakuni, which tender texture is preferred, Chashu is not always very tender. So this is really up to your personal preference. If you like tender texture, you may cook more longer.
Regarding the pressure cooking method, the cooking liquid has to be enough to cover the Chashu as you can’t rotate while cooking it inside the pressure cooker. You may want to cook the Chashu in a pressure cooker first without condiments until it becomes tender, then add the seasonings to add flavors. That way, you don’t have to use a lot of condiments but can reach tender meat faster. However, we had never tested it so we can’t give you details.
We hope this is helpful!☺️
Hi,
Just wanted to say that I made this yesterday, and I just sliced into the meat after resting it in the fridge overnight.
Absolutely amazing! This will become a staple and will add it to my “regulars” list.
Thank you!
Hi Dennis!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are so happy to hear you enjoyed this Chashu, and now it’s on your list!😁
tried this over the weekend but as I was going to fire up the hibachi I decided to finish it off on the cooling coals and use it the following day………………mmmmm used it in the spicy shoyu ramen.
the smokey flavour of the bbq meat was wonderful. Only thing wrong with this dish…..the ramen noodles were so yummy I ate all of mine and could only eat half of the rest of the dish….having it again to night with less noodle
thank you I am so glad I found your site
Hi Lorna,
Thank you for sharing your cooking experience with us.
We are glad to hear you enjoyed the dish!
Your recipe brings a lot of smile once I Tried your chashu recipe. I did some tweaking with the sugar. instead of white sugar, I used a brown sugar. it gives a deeper taste and it melts better than the white sugar. and also reduced the wet ingredients scale since I used the thinly sliced pork belly. And especially reduced the water since I’m not using a block of pork.
Hi Richelle,
Thank you very much for trying this recipe!
We are happy to hear it turned out great! Thank you for sharing your cooking experience with us.☺️