Chashu pork (for ramen and more)

Chashu pork is that wonderfully tender and flavorful pork belly you might see on tonkotsu ramen, and other ramen bowls, that's so easy to love. But don't think it's something to only enjoy when eating out - it's actually really easy to make at home and tastes amazing.

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On colder days, a big bowl of ramen can be just the thing to warm you up and get comfortably full on. And I'm not talking about a quick pack of instant noodles (though they can be good too, just not AS good), but an upgraded, loaded-up version.

Switching out a few components, like making your own broth, using good noodles and adding some fresh toppings can make all the difference. And that doesn't mean eating out (or take out) is the only option, nor does it have to be tricky. You can make delicious homemade ramen at home, and this pork is a great addition to any bowl.

Origins of chashu

Chashu is a Japanese dish where pork is slow braised in a relatively simple mixture that includes soy sauce, sugar, mirin and sake and sometimes some aromatics. 

Just like the noodles it is served with, chashu originates from Chinese cuisine. The name and broad style of the dish is based on the Cantonese barbecue pork dish, char sui. But the dishes have their differences, too.

Differences between chashu and char sui

While both chashu and char sui are made with pork and have some similarities in having a sweet-savory flavor profile, they also have a few differences.

One big difference is the cooking method. The name "char sui" means fork roasted as that's how it was traditionally cooked, threaded on forks (large, skewer-like ones) over the fire or in an oven. Even more modern versions still either roast or barbecue the meat after marinating it. The marinade gives a sticky, flavorful coating as it cooks.

Chashu, meanwhile, is slow braised in a cooking liquid that contains all the seasonings. These flavors then get into the meat to give it flavor, as well as tenderizing the meat as it cooks. The result is meltingly tender, juicy pork.

The flavors are also a little different. Both incorporate soy sauce and a sweetener, but char sui adds aromatic Chinese five spice, and often hoisin sauce. You traditionally add red yeast rice, though these days that can be replaced with food coloring for a characteristic red color.

For chashu, meanwhile, you simply add mirin and/or sake along with the soy and sugar. If you add aromatics, these are typically ginger and green onion.

Both dishes use boneless pork cuts, most typically pork belly for chashu, though you can use shoulder. Char sui can use a range of cuts including loin, shoulder and neck. It just depends if you want leaner or fattier and juicier. 

Steps to make chashu pork (and why)

As you can probably tell from the above, the key to making chashu is time. This isn't a quick dish to make, but you need minimal effort, and only a few ingredients. And another bonus, you largely prepare it ahead so there's minimal work when you are ready to eat and enjoy.

The trickiest bit is rolling and tying the pork belly, though you can potentially skip this. If you just have a small piece of pork, it can work without rolling.

However, rolling helps lock more moisture in the pork and it means slices are an even shape. Plus, it's not actually that difficult. You don't even need to have a huge chunk - as in this recipe, even a smaller piece works to roll.

After that, you first sear the pork which serves a few purposes. It helps add another layer of flavor, helps the pork hold it's shape better, and brings out some of the excess fat before braising.

Then, you slowly braise the pork over a low heat. Cooking low and slow helps the pork to become wonderfully tender. The braising liquid is packed with flavor that works its way into the meat as it cooks, as well as keeping it juicy.

Make sure you turn the pork during braising so that each side spends part of the time in the liquid. This helps it cook evenly.

The next step is one that's key to chashu, that you may not do with some other pork belly recipes - you let it cool then rest the pork in the braising liquid overnight in the fridge. Putting the pork in a freezer bag helps all sides have contact with the liquid.

This step serves two purposes. First, the chilled pork is firmer and easier to slice, but secondly, it gives the meat an extra chance to absorb flavor. In addition, any excess fat from cooking solidifies and floats on top so is nice and easy to discard.

Storing tips

After the initial braising, you can store the pork in the fridge for a couple of days before then slicing and using for ramen or other dishes. After you have left it in the fridge at least overnight, you can also split it up and freeze some for another time.

To freeze, you can cut slices first, or leave it as a chunk, ready to slice after defrosting. Personally I prefer it as a chunk as I find it is less likely to break up that way. Either way, you want to freeze it with some of the braising liquid. You can simply add some to a freezer bag with the pork, and squeeze out excess air. 

To use, defrost the pork overnight in the fridge - I recommend sitting the freezer bag in a container, just in case it leaks. Then slice or chop and use in your dish as usual. 

For ramen, you typically fry slices of the pork, adding in a little of the braising liquid for extra flavor. This also helps it to caramelize a little on the outside. The other options to cook the slices is to grill or use a blowtorch to warm and caramelize it. You can use slices like this to top a rice bowl too, for example.

Alternatively, you can chop the pork into smaller pieces to make chashu chahan, Japanese fried rice, where you stir fry chunks of pork to crisp it a little (so tasty and easy!). 

Chashu pork might take a little time, but it's really an easy dish to make and so worth the effort. The end result is meltingly tender, flavorful pork belly that's a classic ramen topping for good reason. 

Try these other tasty pork recipes:

• Maiale al latte (milk braised pork)
• Schweinebraten (German roast pork, using beer to semi-braise)
• Hong shao rou (Chinese sticky braised pork belly)
• Plus get more Japanese recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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