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Rice Cooker Braised Pork Belly (Kakuni)

This recipe for pork belly braised in a rice cooker results in a dish that rivals authentic restaurant-quality kakuni, yet is incredibly easy to make. A simple extra step enriches the flavor, eliminates any gaminess, and creates melt-in-your-mouth tender pork. For even better taste, make it ahead of time and let the flavors meld!

Steps

Cut 2 cloves of garlic in half, peel, and remove the green sprout if large. Lightly crush with the flat side of a knife.
🕒 01:04
Cut the 500-600g pork belly block into 4-5cm pieces. This size is slightly larger than the final desired portion as it will shrink during cooking, ensuring a good presentation.
🕒 02:15
Place the pork belly fat-side down in a frying pan and heat over medium-low heat. Sear the fat until it's just about to burn, and lightly brown the sides and bottom.
🕒 03:49
Drain the rendered fat with a paper towel to prevent burning. Searing the fat well enhances its flavor, removes gaminess, and reduces excess oil. Since the color will fade during rice cooker cooking, it's okay to sear it more than you might expect.
🕒 05:33
Turn off the heat, add enough water to the pan to cover the pork, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
🕒 06:35
Turn off the heat, remove the pork from the pan, and drain.
🕒 08:06
Rinse the pork under running water to remove any scum and excess fat.
🕒 08:11
Place the pork belly into the inner pot of the rice cooker, fat-side down.
🕒 08:43
Add 300ml water, 100ml cooking sake, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sugar, 6-7cm kombu, the crushed 2 cloves garlic, and the torn 1/2 green onion to the rice cooker.
🕒 09:01
Arrange the pork so it is submerged in the cooking liquid.
🕒 10:22
Cook using the rice cooker's 'Cook' or 'Sterilize' mode for 90 minutes. If your rice cooker doesn't have this mode, check your manual for cooking capabilities and adjust the cooking time based on the tenderness of the pork.
🕒 10:40
While the pork is cooking, boil 2 eggs in a pot to your desired firmness (8 minutes in this case) and immediately cool them under running water.
🕒 11:20
Cool the eggs in an ice bath for 5 minutes, then peel. Cooling boiled eggs rapidly in an ice bath creates an air pocket between the shell and the egg white, making them easier to peel.
🕒 13:26
Transfer the cooked pork and its braising liquid to a pot. Add the peeled boiled eggs and ensure they are submerged in the liquid.
🕒 15:54
Cover the pot with parchment paper, and let it rest at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or refrigerate overnight. Resting allows the flavors to penetrate the meat and the fat to settle, resulting in a smoother texture. Refrigerating overnight solidifies the fat on the surface, making it easy to remove.
🕒 17:32
After resting, remove the parchment paper and skim off any solidified fat from the surface with a ladle.
🕒 18:40
Flip the eggs and gently reheat the pork and eggs over medium-low heat just before serving.
🕒 20:29
Serve in a bowl, drizzle with braising liquid, and add mustard to taste. Removing the fat makes the first bite less greasy and more pleasant. The leftover braising liquid can be diluted with dashi to make a delicious soba noodle soup base.
🕒 22:21