Name: Pork Belly (Kakuni)
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese Cuisine
Ingredients: Pork Belly 500g; Sliced Ginger 3 slices; Boiled Eggs (optional); [A] Water 200cc; [A] Cooking Sake (Rice Wine) 100cc; [A] Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine) 50cc; [A] Soy Sauce 50cc; [A] Sugar 3 tbsp; [A] Honey 1 tbsp

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Original: English

Pork Belly (Kakuni)

by 食事処さくらの料理教室

Simply cut, sear, and simmer for melt-in-your-mouth, incredibly delicious braised pork belly。 This authentic Japanese dish is packed with flavor, perfect with rice, and surprisingly easy to make. We'll guide you through every step, sharing tips for a fail-proof result. Make this ahead for a family-favorite dish on busy days!

Ingredients

Scale:

Main Ingredients (2 servings)

Pork Belly 500g
Sliced Ginger 3 slices
Boiled Eggs (optional)

Steps

Cut the Pork Belly (500g) into roughly six slightly larger pieces.
🕒 00:27
Heat a frying pan without oil. Place the cut pork belly, fat-side down, over low heat and sear until browned.
🕒 00:51
Gently press with tongs and sear all sides until browned, then remove from the pan. **(Key Tip!)** Searing without oil allows excess fat to render out easily.
🕒 01:23
Place the seared pork belly into a pot. Add enough water to cover the meat. **(Key Tip!)** Using a pot that's just the right size will require less braising liquid later.
🕒 01:47
Add sliced ginger (3 slices) to eliminate any gaminess.
🕒 02:00
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then carefully skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
🕒 02:07
Once scum is removed, cover with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit the pot (otoshifuta) and poke a few holes with a chopstick. Reduce heat to very low and simmer for 1 hour to parboil. **(Key Tip!)** Removing moisture during parboiling helps the meat absorb flavors better. Maintaining a low simmer after boiling prevents the temperature from dropping too much.
🕒 02:23
(Optional) In a separate pot, boil eggs for 7 minutes to make soft-boiled eggs. Cool in ice water and peel.
🕒 02:47
After 30 minutes of parboiling, check the water level. If the pork is no longer submerged, add more water to cover, bring back to a boil, then return to a low simmer.
🕒 02:54
After 1 hour of parboiling, remove the parchment paper. Take out only the pork belly from the pot and return it to the empty pot.
🕒 03:05
To the pot with the pork belly, add [A] Water (200cc), [A] Cooking Sake (Rice Wine) (100cc), [A] Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine) (50cc), [A] Soy Sauce (50cc), [A] Sugar (3 tbsp), and [A] Honey (1 tbsp) in that order.
🕒 03:29
Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring with a spatula to dissolve the honey.
🕒 04:07
Once simmering, cover with parchment paper (otoshifuta) with poked holes and lid. Reduce heat to very low and simmer for 30 minutes. **(Key Tip!)** Poking holes in the otoshifuta allows the braising liquid to circulate evenly, ensuring consistent flavor.
🕒 04:19
After 30 minutes of simmering, remove the lid and otoshifuta.
🕒 04:41
Place the peeled boiled eggs in the gaps between the pork belly. Cover again with parchment paper and the lid, then let it cool at room temperature for about 1 hour. **(Key Tip!)** The flavor permeates most deeply as the dish cools, so this step makes a significant difference.
🕒 04:51
Once cooled, reheat thoroughly until the center is hot just before serving. It's ready!
🕒 05:24