This Ramen Chashu Recipe is sponsored by the National Pork Board.
Ramen Chashu Pork, how to make it perfect?
No need to search for more chashu recipes online. This is what you were looking for! Easy, simple, perfect ramen chashu pork recipe.
Ramen is definitely the most memorable dish we had when Jacob and I went to Japan for the first time. Pork is well-loved all over the world, especially in Asian cuisine.
When you have this chashu pork ready, you can cook any ramen – instant, semi-homemade, or homemade and just top it with this classic chashu pork, you will feel like you are in Japan!
I have many ramen recipes but realized I’ve never shared how to make classic proper ramen chashu recipes! ?
I’m so sorry that you had to search around and look around for the perfect chashu pork recipe. But no need to anymore. Here is the perfect recipe you’ve been looking for!
They have a perfect taste and look of chashu that can be on top of any ramen (even instant! balling!), top of rice (called cahshu-don), or even in-between buns… any buns really, but I love in my steamed bao!
Are you ready to have the best chashu pork you’ll ever make?
Let’s get started!
First, cut 2 garlic bulbs in halves, slice ginger (large pieces), and cut 1 large leek that cleaned well or 2 Daepa, Korean large green onions, into 4-inch long pieces.
Lay 4lb pork belly on a work surface, skin side down. I’m actually using skinless pork belly, either one will work for the recipe.
Roll the pork belly tightly into a log. Tie tightly with kitchen twine to hold log together. Make sure to tide really tight, the pork will reduce the volume when they are cooked.
Heat a large dutch oven or thick bottom pot over high heat; add the pork log and sear evenly on all sides until crispy golden brown color. A couple of minutes, all sides. It will take approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine 1 cup sugar (or honey), 1 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 1/2 cup mirin, 1 1/2 cup sake, and 3 cups water in a large mixing bowl or measuring cup – where you can pour liquid easily into the pot. Stir until sugar is dissolved completely.
Pour the sauce mixture into the pot along with ginger, garlic, and leek/green onions that we prepared earlier. Stir and turn around so the pork can be braised evenly in the sauce. Bring it to boil without cover. When it’s boiling, cover, reduce to heat to medium-high, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Roll around the pork in the sauce every 20 minutes so the pork will cook and absorb the sauce evenly.
After 1 and half hours of simmering, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for additional 30 minutes. Keep rolling around the pork every 10 minutes.
After the pork is done cooking, the sauce is not reduced enough to cover the back of the spoon, remove the lid and increase the heat to high to reduce the sauce to nice and thick.
Now, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for 30 minutes. When it’s cooled down enough to handle, place the pork log into a plastic bag with 1 cup of the sauce. Close tightly and place in a refrigerator overnight.
Without this step, there’s a risk that the pork might not be keeping its shape after the slice.
Strain the sauce so we can use it for later. The liquid will be about 1 1/2 cup.
If you’d like to make tare (sauce) for ramen, Mix it with 2 tbsp salt, and it’s ready to use for bumping up your ramen! Or you can just keep the strained liquid as it is to serve on top of rice!
Remove twine only the part you are going to use at a time. Slice pork chashu into desired thickness and sear them by pan frying on a dry pan over high heat, grill or torch.
Serve on top of your favorite ramen, warm cooked rice, or in-between steamed bao.
When you bite into this ramen chashu pork… you’re in Japan. If you’ve been to Japan, you know what it feels like. If you’ve never been to Japan, now you know what it feels like.
Enjoy!
Visit www.pork.org/realpork for more recipe ideas!
Ramen Chashu Pork
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 18 to 20 slices
Description
Visit www.pork.org/realpork for more recipe ideas!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Lay pork belly on a work surface, skin side down. Roll pork belly tightly into a log. Tie tightly with kitchen twine, to hold log together.
- Heat a large dutch oven or thick bottom pot over high heat; add pork belly log and sear evenly all sides until crispy golden brown color.
- Meanwhile, combine sugar, soy sauce, mirin, sake and 3 cups water in a large mixing bowl or measuring cup – where you can pour liquid easily to pot. Stir until sugar dissolved completely.
- Pour sauce mixture to pot along with ginger, garlic and leek/green onions. Stir and turn around so pork belly can be braised evenly in sauce. Bring it to boil without cover. When it’s boiling, cover, reduced to heat to medium high and simmer 1 hour and 30 minutes. Then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for additional 30 minutes. Roll around pork in sauce every 20 minutes so pork will cook and absorb sauce evenly.
- After pork is done cooking, sauce is not reduced enough to cover back of spoon, remove lid and increase heat to high to reduce sauce to nice and thick.
- Now, remove from heat and let it cool for 30 minutes. When it’s cooled down enough to handle, place pork log into a plastic bag with 1 cup of sauce. Close tightly and place in a refrigerator over night. Without this step, there’s a risk that pork might not keeping its shape after slice.
- Remove twine only the part you are going to use at a time. Slice pork chashu into desired thickness and sear them by pan frying on a dry pan over hight heat, grill or torch. Serve top of your favorite ramen, warm cooked rice or in-between steamed bao.
Notes
If you’d like to make tare (sauce) for ramen, strain leftover liquid- it will be about 1 1/2 cup. Mix with 2 tbsp salt and it’s ready to use for bump up your ramen! Or you can just keep strained liquid as it is to serve on top of rice!
- Cook Time: 2 hours
10 comments
Your recipe is out of this World Chef♨️??
The Ramen Chashu Pork looks very interesting. Unfortunately, due to my religious traditions, I am not allowed to consumed pork. I will try this recipe using beef meat such as roast beef or tri-tip.
Can we USe a smaller piece of pork belly, unrolled? If so I’d assume we can use less sauce and less cooking time?
https://seonkyounglongest.com/char-siu-chinese-bbq-pork/ here is the link to my other chashu recipe using a smaller cut of pork belly and not rolled. Hope this helped (:
I make this recipe just for me and occasionally my husband will take a slice or two. But I slice the pork belly after cooking and freeze the individual slices. I wrap each slice in plastic wrap and then place two slices in a sandwich bag. Once all the slices are in baggies, I put all of them in a gallon freezer bag. I have kept the slices for as long as 6 months and each slice is still delicious. I did roll mine. However, I have also done it with sliced pork belly but it did not turn out as good. It was tough. Very easy to undercook or overcook if it is sliced.
This looks so good!
I haven’t gotten around to trying it out myself, but I’m definitely looking forward to it!
One question though: how long does the sauce keep? Can I put it into the freezer so I can use it for Ramen later as well?
With my best wishes,
Rory
I would slice them and wrap separately and then keep it in the freezer. It would freeze well!
I just made this but I wasn’t able to roll it tightly enough. I also didn’t expect it to be this much sauce – used up a full bottle of soy sauce, mirin and sake! Otherwise, it tastes amazing!!
Such an easy Recipe and so yummy! I made this and love the Taste! Thank you for sharing it…
Thank you for making this recipe! I’m starting to make Ramen this weekend and I’m following your recipes, from the broth to the toppings.