Japanese Braised Pork Belly (Chashu)
チャーシュー ChāshūSay it: chah-SHOO
Chashu is Japan’s melt-tender braised pork belly, most familiar as a glossy topping for ramen but also served over rice. A rectangular slab of pork is rolled, tied, and gently simmered in a savory-sweet bath of soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, ginger, garlic, and scallion until it slices into neat spirals. The result is rich, juicy pork with a deep caramel-soy flavor and a soft, yielding texture. Home cooks often make it ahead, chill it for clean slices, and reheat it in the braising liquid or a hot bowl of ramen.
Japanese Braised Pork Belly (Chashu)
チャーシュー, Chāshū
Pronounced chah-SHOO
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 2 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 20 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, soy. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Method
Pat the pork belly dry and lay it flat. Roll it tightly into a compact cylinder, then tie it at 1-inch (2.5 cm) intervals with kitchen twine; tuck in any loose edges.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot just wide enough for the pork over medium-high. Add the rolled pork and brown on all sides, turning carefully, until deep golden, 6 to 8 minutes.
Pour in the water, soy sauce, sake, and mirin, then add the sugar, scallions, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
Cover the pork with a drop lid or a piece of parchment pressed onto the surface. Simmer gently, turning the roll once or twice, until the pork is tender and a skewer slides through with little resistance, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Let the pork cool in the braising liquid for 30 minutes, then refrigerate in the liquid until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight; this makes clean slices.
Strain the braising liquid into a small saucepan and boil until reduced to a glossy glaze, about 10 to 15 minutes. Skim any fat.
Remove the twine and slice the chilled chashu thinly. Warm the slices in the glaze or in hot ramen broth, or sear them briefly in a dry pan until the edges are browned, then brush with glaze before serving.
Regional variants
For tori chashu, braise skinless chicken thighs in the same liquid until cooked through; for a smoky finish, torch the sliced pork lightly before serving.
Cook's notes
- Tie the roll tightly and chill it before slicing for neat, even rounds.
- Keep the braise at a bare simmer; a hard boil can toughen the pork.
- Strain and reduce the braising liquid for a concentrated tare or glaze.
Serve with
Ramen, donburi rice bowls, or steamed greens; offer pickled ginger and Japanese tea or cold sake.
Make ahead and storage
Cool in the braising liquid, refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month; slice cold and reheat gently in broth or glaze.
