The old adage “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” definitely applies to any hot-blooded male.
Buta no kakuni or Japanese Braised Belly Pork literally keeps his heart pumping hard, his cholesterol levels high and testosterone levels low. But I believe Naoki can afford it every once in a while so long as he works it off at the gym. 8 hours of sprinting per serve, maybe?
Buta no kakuni is very similar in taste to the Chinese version of the same dish, except this one is simpler to cook and requires less ingredients. Usually I’d buy female pork belly ribs from Victoria Market, but I chanced on some really good selection at Coles over the weekend which happen to be boneless too. (Boneless is a plus for Naoki as he is too lazy to chew. I even have to pin-bone the ocean trout that we have for breakfast.)
At Coles, these pork belly strips were sold as “pork rashers”, gender unknown. Some Asian cooks believe female pork reek less than its male counterpart. I’m not sure about this theory but this method of braising kills off whatever gamey taste there is anyway so I don’t really care. I like the pork belly ribs at Victoria market because cooking meat on the bone always produces a better taste anyway.
Here’s a recipe good for 4 – 6 serves.
Ingredients
- 6 strips of belly pork (I believe I bought between 800 grams to 1kg)
- Sliced ginger, a small handful
- 2 cups of dashi stock*
- 5 tbps of white sugar
- 3 tbps of soy sauce
- 3 tbps of Japanese rice cooking wine
- 1 tbps of cooking oil, anything but olive
- Sprinkle of salt
Dashi stock can be prepared the hard way or the pain-free way. With the latter, all you need is Ajinomoto brand Hon Dashi, and some hot water. 2 cups of dashi stock means you add 2 teaspoon heaps of Hon Dashi to 2 cups of hot water.
Method
Pork from Coles are usually immaculately de-haired. Victoria market pork not so, I sometimes have to scrap off the fur with a multi-purpose knife. Cut the strips to around 15 to 20 cm pieces.
Clean and pat dry the meat and sprinkle a small amount of salt and rub in. Leave for 5 minutes.
I do not believe in Maldon simply because it is wasted on this recipe. If you have cash to burn, invest on a good cut of pork or a quality soy sauce.
Heat up some oil in a non-stick frying pan, ensure the pan is hot before throwing in the pork. Don’t let the oil smoke or that will burn the meat.
Sear the pork on all sides.
Searing is all you need to do, not cooking it thoroughly.
This is about the right done-ness.
While you are searing the pork, prepare the stock for braising. In another thick-based saucepan, boil half the portion of dashi stock, sugar, soy sauce, rice wine and ginger. When the pork is all seared, throw it in the already bubbling braising stock.
Pour in the remaining dashi stock such that it barely covers the meat.
Now, turn up the heat and reduce the fire to low when the stew starts to boil vigourously.
Now I am going to introduce a clever little kitchen gadget: a buta otoshibuta (or literally a pig lid). An otoshibuta is a Japanese drop-lid, used usually in Japanese cooking for simmering food to promote even heat distribution.
If your otoshi buta doesn't have a pig's face on it, it's too boring
My pig-faced drop-lid is made out of soft silicone and allows the steam to escape through the nostrils. You’d never risk burning your fingers because all you need is to stick a pair of chopsticks into the holes to lift the drop-lid. Ingenious!
You can get your hands on one at Rinkya Stores over the Internet, at MoMA store if you are in Manhatten, or at Tokyu Hands or Loft in Japan.
Having a cover of some sort really helps the simmering. You can also fashion a substitute drop-lid out of aluminium foil or baking paper. Cut a circle to fit your saucepan, then pierce around 3 to 5 small holes in the circle to allow the steam to escape.
Your little piggy will start to spew in a few moments. Do not panic as this is perfectly normal.
Let it simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes or braise till the the sauce is reduced by about half. A hint that the stew is ready when a thick layer of oil collects at the top of the gravy. Never let the sauce dry up completely. Pour in a little hot water if needed. After 30 minutes, do a quick check.
Remember: always lift your pig-faced lid with a pair of chopsticks if you want to appear classy.
It is unbecoming to handle the drop-lip with your bare fingers, let alone mention the risk of scalding.
This looks almost done but continue braising if you like the fat a little more gooey.
Buta no kakuni is heart attack on a plate, what with the high saturated animal fat and high sugar content. If it makes you feel any better, you can refrigerate the stew overnight, then scrap the solidified layer of fat off just before you are ready to reheat and serve. Keeping the stew overnight also benefits the taste. With the high fat and sugar content, this dish keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Remove the ginger before serving. Cut the 15 to 20cm strips in 3 or 4 bite-sized chunks to serve.
Td-dah!
Buta no kakuni is best served piping hot with some of the gravy. You can choose to garnish the pork with lightly blanched green asparagus, or a sprinkle of sliced scallions. If it is of any consolation, green asparagus is low in calories, and contains no fat or cholesterol. That means it will cancel out the calories and heart-stopping saturated fats in the pork belly. Voila!
Some other variations can include braising the pork together with some hard-boiled eggs or fried tofu.
Don’t let your dish sit on the table un-eatened for too long or the fats in the gravy will start to solidify. It is not a pretty sight.
Japanese Braised Pork Belly goes well with steamed short grain rice or Chinese-style steamed buns.
Soon those abs will be gone.
Naoki is seen here picking at a new dish that I prepared tonight — green asparagus with miso sauce, topped with a poached egg. I will share that recipe with you soon.