Chashu (Braised Pork Belly)

Japanese chashu is tender and flavorful pork belly that melts in your mouth. I have made chashu many times at home, and I have found that cooking it gently over low heat, then letting it rest in the braising liquid, makes a big difference to both the flavor and texture. It’s a classic topping for a bowl of ramen and also works great for other noodles, rice bowls, fried rice, and other dishes. Follow my kitchen-tested method to make Japanese chashu that is tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. What is Japanese Chashu? Japanese chashu (チャーシュー) is tender braised pork that is commonly served in thin slices over a bowl of ramen. The name comes from the Chinese dish char siu, but Japanese chashu developed into its own style and became a popular ramen topping across Japan.Chashu has a rich, savory-sweet flavor from slowly cooking the pork in a braising liquid usually made with soy sauce, sake, sugar, ginger, scallions and garlic. Pork belly is one of the most popular cuts of meat because the layers of fat become soft and tender during cooking, giving the chashu its juicy texture.You will often see pork belly rolled into a log and secured with butcher’s twine before cooking. This creates ...