Japanese Charshu チャーシュー

Years ago, I learnt from a Japanese friend that she uses vegetable scraps that she saved daily to make the sauce base for Japanese Charshu チャーシュー and I thought this is so clever, zero waste management.  

Though I did not use vegetable scraps as I do have a compost bin thus nothing is wasted.

So this time round, I just use lots of leeks to replace the vegetable scraps.

Findings: I should have left the twine on for the whole cooking process because somehow the meat "open up".  Overall, I am quite happy how it turned out.

Adapted

What you need:

1 kg pork belly

½ tbsp grapeseed oil

4” ginger (skin removed and sliced)

5 stalks leek

500ml water

200g mirin

200g soya sauce

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Method:

Cut off the white part of the leek for further use.  For the remaining green part, cut into 3” long.  Set aside.

Finely cut the white portion of the leek.  Keep it in the airtight container as garnish.

Roll up the pork belly with twine.  Blanch pork in a pot of boiling water.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat and brown the pork belly.

In a heavy bottom pot, put water, mirin, soya sauce, sugar, salt and pepper together.

Add the pork belly, ginger and leek and bring it to a boil.

Lower to medium low heat and simmer for 1 hour or until pork is tender. (turn occasionally).

Turn up the heat to reduce the sauce, the sauce should thickened and meat is shiny.  Turn meat repeatedly to soak up the glaze.

Take the meat out and cut into thin slices.

Serve with ramen.


Enjoy!