Chāshū pork is one of the indispensable elements for a ramen worthy of the name. This melting piece of pork with such an unusual taste is a treat, so why not learn to cook it yourself? But before that, a little history.
Where does this delicious meat come from?
Chāshū, originally "char siu" ("roasted on a spit"), comes from one of Japan's neighbouring countries: China. Before reaching the archipelago, this recipe consisted of strips of pork shoulder prepared with many spices such as cinnamon, ginger, liquorice and aniseed.
But as it was exported across the Asian continent, the recipe of course underwent adaptations. For the Japanese version, a richer and more flavourful cut of meat is now used — pork belly, as it's fattier and juicier. Enough for even more melting bites.
The meat is now prepared and marinated in a mix of soy sauce, sake and sugar before being braised. But be careful — particular attention is always paid to its spiral look. As with most Japanese specialities (and Asian ones in some cases), the appearance of the dish is as important as its taste.
The spiral has an important symbolism in Japan, which is why it's also so widespread in its cuisine. Remember the naruto, for example! This motif made of a curve moving away from the central point is said to be synonymous with life and infinity. Culinary figurative art in Japan is very widespread and appreciated, as it makes foods more appetising, more noble, and showcases them.
How to cook your own chāshū pork?
Before you set out to make a good marinated and braised pork the chāshū way — and although it's ultimately a relatively simple recipe — here's what you should keep in mind:
- Arm yourself with patience
- Favour quality products (and notably for the meat)
- It all comes down to tying the meat
- Above all, enjoy yourself!
The recipe
👥 serves 6
🥣 15 min preparation
🕒 4 h cooking
Ingredients
1 kg pork belly (with the skin)
20 cl soy sauce
20 cl sake
20 cl mirin
30 cl water
100 g sugar
4 cloves of garlic
1 piece of ginger
2 shallots
Method
- Roll the rectangle of meat and hold it with food-grade string
- Brown all sides over high heat in an ovenproof dish (cast iron preferably)
- Mix the soy sauce, mirin, sake and water
- Add the garlic, ginger and shallots to the mixture
- Heat over low heat until boiling
- Pour the mixture into the dish with the meat
- Cover and put in the oven for 4 h at 100°C
- Turn the meat every hour
- Cut slices once the preparation has cooled a little
- Marinate the slices covered with the preparation overnight in the fridge
- Enjoy
The tip 💡
In addition to the meat, you can plunge your soft- or hard-boiled eggs into the preparation overnight to marinate them too.
In your ramen or as a simple side, you can now enjoy chāshū pork at home, with a little patience.
Let us know your impressions if you make this recipe!
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Photo credits: Dennis Wilkinson (flickr) / angsarap.net
