Japanese Pork Belly Buta Bara Beyond Kakuni Preparations

Ingredients

• For the chashu roll
• 800 g pork belly, skin-on, flat slab, trimmed to an even rectangle
• 60 ml soy sauce
• 60 ml mirin
• 60 ml sake
• 15 g sugar, restrained — Japanese chashu is far less sweet than Cantonese char siu
• For buta-shabu
• 600 g pork belly, sliced paper-thin, 1–2 mm, ideally by the butcher or part-frozen for home slicing
• 1.5 l kombu dashi, prepared cold-infusion or simmered kombu stock, kept at a rolling simmer
• 100 ml ponzu, citrus-soy dipping sauce
• 100 ml goma dare, sesame dipping sauce
• 1 bowl ice water, for cooling shock after broth swirling — must be ready before cooking begins
• For butakimchi
• 400 g pork belly, sliced 3–4 mm, cut into bite-sized strips
• 300 g kimchi, brought to room temperature before cooking — cold kimchi prevents proper searing
• 15 g gochujang, Japanese-style adaptation for depth and colour
• 15 ml sesame oil, to finish

Method

1. 1
   CHASHU — Step 1. Lay the pork belly flat, skin-side down. Roll it tightly along its length into a firm cylinder; a loose roll creates an irregular shape that cooks unevenly and produces aesthetically inconsistent ramen slices. Tie at 2 cm intervals with kitchen twine. The roll must hold its form under light hand pressure.
2. 2
   CHASHU — Step 2. Sear the roll in a dry heavy pan over high heat, turning to colour all surfaces. Do not skip this step: an unseared surface lacks the Maillard complexity that distinguishes premium chashu from simple braised pork. The exterior should be deep amber with no pale patches remaining.
3. 3
   CHASHU — Step 3. Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a deep pot or oven dish. Add the seared roll. The liquid should come halfway up the cylinder; top with water if needed. Braise at a gentle simmer — or in a covered pot in a moderate oven — turning the roll every 20 minutes to ensure even lacquering and fat rendering. The roll is ready when a skewer meets no resistance at the centre and the exterior carries a dark, glossy coat.
4. 4
   CHASHU — Step 4. Remove the roll and cool completely. Transfer to the freezer for 45 minutes. This partial freezing enables the clean, even 3–5 mm slices essential for ramen service — too thin and the slice disintegrates, too thick and it dominates the bowl. Slice with a sharp knife in a single drawing motion. Reserve the braising liquid: reduced, it is the tare (seasoning base) for soy ramen.
5. 5
   BUTA-SHABU — Step 1. Bring the kombu dashi to a rolling simmer at the table or on the stove. Prepare the bowl of ice water before the first slice enters the pot. Swirl one or two slices of pork belly through the broth for 30 seconds, until the pink has just vanished. Immediately transfer to the ice water: without this cooling shock the meat continues cooking and becomes overdone. Drain and serve at once with ponzu and goma dare alongside — each sauce draws out different aspects of the pork fat.
6. 6
   BUTAKIMCHI — Step 1. Bring kimchi to room temperature before beginning. Heat a wide pan or iron skillet over high heat until the surface begins to smoke. Add the pork belly strips in a single layer; do not move them immediately. The fat must render partially to coat the kimchi and create caramelisation at the contact surface. When the underside is seared and opaque at the edges, turn the strips.
7. 7
   BUTAKIMCHI — Step 2. Add the kimchi and gochujang directly to the pan. Maintain high heat throughout; a drop in temperature at this stage prevents proper searing and caramelisation. Toss to combine, pressing the kimchi against the pan surface. The dish is ready when the kimchi has darkened slightly at its edges and the fat from the pork has rendered into the kimchi, coating it in a glossy, orange-red film. Finish with sesame oil, toss once, and plate immediately.