Chashu don is a beloved Japanese comfort dish consisting of braised pork belly tucked into a steamy bowl of white rice. Savory, melt-in-your-mouth pork simmers for hours in a sweet and salty soy sauce based broth until fork tender. Each component comes together in perfect harmony – fatty, succulent meat, glistening sauce, fluffy grains of rice. Well-executed chashu strikes an ideal balance of rich, caramelized flavors that prove seriously addicting. While the ingredient list proves rather humble, perfecting the technique is vital for truly mind-blowing results.
A Brief History of Chashu
Chashu has centuries old roots in Chinese roast pork recipes that later inspired Japanese iterations. The now iconic rolled roast pork belly started appearing in ramen shops and other eateries in Japan in the early 1900‘s. Over the decades, chashu became a specialty item requiring great skill to execute properly. The time and care to transform a tough, bland cut into melt-in-your-mouth meat makes chashu a labor of love. It‘s now considered a staple topping for bowls of ramen, rice, udon, and more.
Health Benefits of Chashu Don
While certainly a treat, chashu don offers some healthy aspects when enjoyed in moderation as part of an overall balanced diet:
- Protein – Pork provides lots of satiating protein to support muscle growth/recovery.
- B Vitamins – Pork contains high amounts of energy boosting niacin, riboflavin, etc.
- Anti-Inflammatory – Garlic, ginger, soy contain beneficial anti-inflammatory compounds.
- Prebiotic – Fermented soy sauce feeds good gut bacteria.
When compared to fatty takeout meals, homemade chashu don often contains less grease, preservatives, etc. So consider whipping up your own bowl!
Key Tools Needed
Having the right kitchen tools on hand makes the process of preparing chashu don much easier:
- Sharp knife – for cleanly slicing pork and vegetables
- Large pot – for boiling and braising meat
- Wooden spoon – for stirring marinade and sauce
- Kitchen twine – for tying pork belly into roll
- Instant read thermometer – no guessing when meat is safe to eat
- Tongs – helpful for moving hot pork chunks
- Sheet pan – catches any drips while broiling/torching
Detailed Cooking Instructions
Follow this step-by-step guide to achieve professional level chashu don in your own kitchen:
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs pork belly
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup mirin
- 1 cup sake
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- One 3" ginger knob, sliced
- 2 green onions, chopped
Prep Work
- Rinse pork belly and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Bring large pot of water to boil. Add pork and blanch for 15 minutes to remove impurities.
- Drain, rinse, then set pork aside until cool enough to handle.
- Slice pork belly lengthwise into 2" thick slabs.
- Tie pork pieces snugly into rolls using kitchen twine.
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well until sugar fully dissolves.
Marinating
- Place tied pork rolls into a large zip top bag.
- Reserve 1 cup marinade and pour the rest into bag with pork.
- Seal bag then massage sauce all over pork until fully coated.
- Refrigerate overnight, flipping bag occasionally.
Braising
- Remove pork from marinade, reserving liquid.
- Heat sauce reserved from marinade in a large pot.
- Once simmering, add pork rolls and top with remaining marinade.
- Bring to a gentle simmer then reduce heat to medium-low.
- Cover and cook for 60-90 minutes until fork tender.
Sauce Reduction
- Transfer cooked pork to sheet pan and cover with foil.
- Pour braising liquid into saucepan and bring to boil.
- Allow to bubble vigorously for 15-20 minutes until thickened.
Assembly
- Slice pork.
- Pour reduced sauce over the top or serve on the side for dipping.
- Fan out pieces atop a bowl of steaming rice.
Optional Toppings
- Soft boiled egg
- Thinly sliced green onion
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Shichimi spice blend
Serving Suggestion
For best results, allow chashu don to sit 1-2 minutes before digging in so the sauce seeps down into the grains of rice harmoniously. Customize each bite with crunchy toppings like furikake or fragrant shichimi togarashi to contrast the tender pork and mild rice.
Chashu Don Dos and Don‘ts
- DO allow pork to marinate overnight
- DON‘T let sauce come to heavy boil while pork simmers
- DO slice chashu meat against the grain
- DON‘T ignore smokiness from charring chashu exterior
- DO top bowl with soft boiled egg and green onion
- DON‘T rush reducing braising liquid into thick sauce
Troubleshooting Chashu
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Tough, chewy meat | Continue braising until fork tender |
| Bland tasting | Double check salt in marinade |
| Dry pork | Lower heat, cover pot during braise |
| Fatty mouthfeel | Trim excess surface fat after cooking |
| Pale color | Broil/torch exterior to develop char |
| Runny sauce | Allow sauce reduction time to fully thicken |
| Bland rice | Finish with togarashi spice blend |
Chashu Ramen Showstopper
While chashu don offers simplicity at its finest, the braised pork truly shines as the protein centerpiece for ramen bowls too. Perfect chashu takes time, making it a menu showstopper at ramen-ya restaurants. Embrace the patience required by cooking up a batch specially for topping heaping bowls of wavy noodles and savory broth soon.
So be sure to set aside an afternoon to simmer this Japanese specialty soon. True chashu mastery may take several tries, but remains an invaluable skill any home cook should hone. The dividends of your labor materialize in the form of the ultimate bowl of porky perfection. Each sublime bite sings beautifully once perfected – fattiness dancing flawlessly with flavored sauce, fluffy grains of rice, and crisp veggie garnish in complete harmony. So gather ingredients, turn on some music, and escape into the rhythmic ritual of chashu don creation. Your tastebuds will thank you later!