Braised in soy sauce, sake, and mirin, this tender pork belly is perfect for ramen. Trending Videos
Weve talked about tonkotsu ramen broth and marinated soft-boiled eggs. Today is all about chashu, which are soft, salty, sweet, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth slices of braised pork belly. They are one of my favorite parts of ramen. Its a component of a perfect bowl of ramen thats all-too-often overlooked at restaurants. Most chashu is dry, stringy, or chalky, but when a place really gets it right, it can take a great bowl of ramen to a spiritual level. Transcendent is what were after here.
Chinese char siu, the bright red grilled pork you see in windows or inside steamed buns, is where Japanese chashu gets its name. It probably came to Japan from China around the same time that ramen did. But like ramen, its undergone some major alterations over the centuries. Char siu is made by marinating thin slices of pork shoulder in a thick, sweet sauce and roasting them. Japanese chashu, on the other hand, is a dish that is cooked slowly with pork belly.
What makes bad chashu different from good chashu and great chashu different from great chashu? How can we make the best chashu at home?
For ramen lovers a perfect bowl isn’t complete without a few slices of chashu pork topping the noodles. But what exactly is chashu? While it may look like any other braised pork belly at first glance, chashu pork has its own distinct preparation and flavor that sets it apart. This guide will explain everything you need to know about chashu pork – its history, how it’s made and why it’s an essential component of ramen.
A Brief History of Chashu Pork
While chashu pork is now considered a staple of Japanese ramen, its origins can be traced back to Chinese roasted pork, known as char siu. When Chinese immigrants brought char siu to Japan centuries ago, it was adapted with local ingredients into a braised pork belly dish that we now know as chashu.
In particular, chashu became a specialty of the city Kurume, which became known for its tonkotsu ramen made with pork broth and topped with chashu pork Over the years, chashu pork spread from Kurume throughout Japan as a star player topping bowls of ramen
How Chashu Pork is Made
Making authentic chashu pork is an art form that requires precision and care. Here is a brief overview of the preparation process:
-
Selecting the Pork – Pork belly is used, ideally with both fat and lean layers. Some bone-in cuts may also be used.
-
Seasoning – The pork is seasoned with a sweet and salty braising liquid featuring ingredients like soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar and aromatics.
-
Braising – The pork belly is braised in the seasoning liquid for 1-8 hours until fork tender.
-
Cooling and Slicing – Once cooked, the pork is cooled in the braising liquid before being sliced into thin pieces.
-
Searing – Finally, the slices are seared briefly to caramelize and crisp the exterior.
The result is succulent, flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth tender pork slices that top off a bowl of ramen perfectly.
Key Attributes of Chashu Pork
Here are some of the stand-out qualities that define authentic chashu pork:
-
Deeply seasoned and complex flavor profile – thanks to ingredients like soy sauce, sake, and sugar.
-
Fall-apart tender – owing to the long, slow braising time. Slices easily with chopsticks.
-
Melt-in-your-mouth – the fat renders to a creamy, luscious texture.
-
Light sear – provides a hint of smokiness and crispness to contrast the tenderness within.
-
Savory yet slightly sweet – from the soy and sugar in the braising liquid.
-
Fatty with some lean – offers the perfect meaty balance.
When done right, a single slice of chashu pork offers an incredible depth of flavor and textures in one perfect bite.
Why Chashu Pork is Essential for Ramen
Ramen without chashu pork feels incomplete. Here’s why this pork belly topping is such an essential component:
-
It provides a protein element – chashu gives a satisfying meatiness to contrast the noodles and broth.
-
Flavors marry perfectly – the saltiness and sweetness balance the usual savory broth.
-
Contrasting textures – the tender pork and al dente noodles pair nicely together.
-
Visual appeal – the thin pink slices make the bowl more appetizing and colorful.
-
Herbal accent – searing adds subtle smoky notes that blend with aromatics.
-
Richness – the fatty pork gives a luscious quality and more body.
No other single ingredient can provide quite the same impact on a bowl of ramen. Chashu pork is what ties everything together into soul-warming perfection.
Tips for Buying Chashu Pork
Not all store-bought chashu pork slices are created equal. Here are a few tips for selecting high-quality chashu for your ramen toppings:
-
Look for slices with distinct alternating layers of fat and lean.
-
The pork should appear moist, with fat that glistens but isn’t too oily.
-
Seek out brands known for authentic Japanese products and quality standards.
-
inspect slices for a slight tinge of pink and grill marks from searing.
-
The chashu should have a pleasant aroma and look fresh, not dried out.
-
Check the ingredients list for Japanese seasonings like soy sauce and sake.
-
For maximum freshness, purchase chashu pork from refrigerated sections.
With practice, you’ll be able to discern exceptional chashu pork slices at a glance for truly elevating your homemade ramen.
How to Use Chashu Pork
Chashu pork goes hand-in-hand with ramen, but it can also be enjoyed in various other ways:
- On top of a bowl of steamed rice
- In stir-fries and fried rice dishes
- Wrapped in seaweed as onigiri fillings
- On Japanese style pizza with sweet sauce
- In donburi or rice bowls
- Within baozi steamed buns
- In mapo tofu or other spicy stir fries
- Added to noodle soup broths and congee
- Served with eggs for a classic Japanese breakfast
- On skewers as yakitori
Part of the appeal of chashu pork is that the flavors pair so well with many Asian ingredients. Feel free to get creative with how you incorporate it into dishes beyond just ramen.
Making Chashu Pork at Home
While store-bought chashu pork works fine, making it at home lets you control the quality. Here is an overview of the basic process:
-
Sear rolled pork belly on all sides in a pan to get color.
-
Create braising liquid with soy sauce, sake, sugar, garlic, ginger.
-
Braise pork in liquid for 1-3 hours until very tender.
-
Allow pork to rest in braising liquid until cooled.
-
Slice into thin pieces and sear quickly to add texture.
-
Add slices to ramen bowls or use in various dishes.
With the right technique, you can create restaurant-worthy chashu pork using your own seasonings and high quality pork. Experiment with adaptations but stay true to the classic Japanese flavors.
Common Questions About Chashu Pork
Does chashu pork need to be refrigerated?
Yes, chashu pork is perishable and needs to be stored properly. Keep fresh chashu refrigerated and use within 3-4 days. Frozen chashu pork can last 2-3 months.
Can I use chicken, beef, or other meats instead of pork for chashu?
Pork belly is very traditional, but you can experiment with other meats. Chicken, beef short ribs, and belly cuts from duck or lamb would all work well using the same chashu cooking method.
Is chashu pork already cooked when I buy it?
Yes, store-bought chashu pork just needs to be briefly warmed or seared before serving. No further cooking is required, just gentle reheating. Take care not to overcook it.
What’s the difference between chashu and char siu?
Char siu is the Chinese roasted pork that inspired chashu. Key differences are the use of pork belly instead of loin, and braising versus roasting the meat.
Can I freeze leftover chashu pork?
Absolutely. Allow chashu to cool completely before freezing in an airtight container. It will keep for 2-3 months frozen and can go straight from freezer into ramen bowls.
For ramen fanatics, no bowl is complete without the melt-in-your-mouth addition of chashu pork belly. Its layered flavors and tender, fatty richness make chashu an essential topping. Whether buying it pre-made or braising it yourself, quality chashu can bring your ramen to the next level.
Basic Shaping
The first question is how to shape our pork belly before simmering it. In a lot of home chashu recipes, the pork belly is cooked as a flat slab instead of being rolled. Indeed, many restaurants serve slabs of chashu instead or rolls. If you eat a lot of ramen, you may have also noticed that rolled chashu is often (but not always) more juicy and moist than slabby chashu.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__s__20120301-tonkotsu-chashu-cha-siu-pork-belly-ramen-ajitsuke-tamao-01-43cb96359f544727b844b4b6dbc60e4f.jpg)
This is no coincidence. See, when braising meats, there are a few different elements at play. This is mostly about time and temperature, which we will talk about next. But the ratio of surface area to volume is also important. If you leave a piece of meat out in the open, it will cook faster and lose more moisture. And of course, the more moisture it loses, the dryer it becomes.
You might ask, “But doesnt cooking it in a moist environment keep it, well moist?” In fact, no. Most of the time, the temperature at which meat is cooked determines how much water it loses. This is because a flat slab of meat cooks faster because it has more meat than a rolled piece of meat.
With two identical pieces of pork belly, I found that cooking flat vs. rolled led to a good 18% more moisture loss. Thats a significant difference!.
What about rind on vs. off? Its up to you, but given enough cooking time, pork rind gets delightfully soft and gelatinous. Also, it’s important to remember that skin is an insulator—that’s one of its main biological jobs, after all—and it does the same great job on a live pig as it does on a rolled pork belly, making sure that the meat inside gets even, gentle heat.
TL/DR: Roll your rind-on pork belly. Secure with string. Good to go.
Method 1: In the Soup
The lazy mans method, and a perfectly legitimate one. Just put the slices in the hot soup right before serving. They’ll be hot, soft, and ready to eat while the bowl is being brought to the table.