# Chasu Pork

Recipe from ramen cooking class (2019)

* Prep time: 15 minutes
* Cook time: 3 hours
* Finish time: 12+ hours

## Equipment

Beyond standard kitchen equipment, the following items are also required or helpful:

* Twine for pork
* Sieve for straining
* Dutch oven

## Ingredients

### Chasu Pork & Sauce

| Value |  Unit | Item                                                                    |
| :---: | :---: | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   2   |  lbs. | Pork belly, tied round (or shoulder or Boston butt for leaner, un-tied) |
|  1/3  |  cup  | Sugar                                                                   |
|  2/3  |  cup  | Mirin                                                                   |
|  1/3  |  cup  | Sake                                                                    |
|  1/3  |  cup  | Soy sauce or tamari                                                     |
|  1/3  |  cup  | Water                                                                   |
|  6-8  | count | [Spring onion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scallion), only white part |
|   2   |  in.  | Knob of ginger, sliced                                                  |

## Serving Size

Serves about 4 people.

## Preparation

1. Salt and season pork belly.
2. Roll the pork belly into a cylindrical shape with fat cap facing out.
3. If pork belly is too thick to roll, slice meat vertically to thin out and create longer roll.
4. Tie up pork belly tightly with cooking twine such that meat holds its cylindrical shape.
5. Cut ginger into thin slices.
6. Cut up spring onion, only keeping white parts.

## Cooking

* [ ] Heat a frying pan (or cast iron skillet) to medium-high and brown all sides of pork belly.
* [ ] Transfer pork belly to dutch oven.
* [ ] Add in:
* [ ] Sugar
* [ ] Mirin
* [ ] Sake
* [ ] Soy sauce (or tamari)
* [ ] Water
* [ ] Spring onion
* [ ] Ginger
* [ ] Simmer covered on low heat for 2-3 hours on stove top.

## Post-Cooking

1. Remove pork belly from dutch oven and transfer to small container.
2. Cover meat with sauce from dutch oven.
3. After meat and sauce have cooled, refrigerate overnight.

## Serving

### Meat

1. Remove string.
2. Slice pork belly thinly.

### Sauce

1. Strain liquid with a sieve and pour into sauce pan, discard solids.
2. Bring liquid to boil, then reduce to simmer.
3. Simmer until reduced and thickened.
4. Set aside and use sauce as topping.