Rolled Chashu - AFF Japan Butaniku #2

The 2nd Butaniku (Pork in Japanese) dish I am posting :)

I wanted to complete my tonkotsu ramen with chashu and I love how it looks like when rolled.

I did a bit of mistake. I think I should cut the corners off the belly where the ends meet, so that when rolled up, it will be a nice cylinder. I only realised that when I have tied up everything.
A bit lazy to open up the whole thing and wrap again, so I just let it be

I made it just before I slept and let it marinate in the gravy overnight in the bag. I kept it chilled the next morning until dinner time. So, total time in the gravy after cooking was 18 hours. The chashu was tender and moist, but not very flavourful even with that long hours in the gravy. Actually I do find the rolled chashu to be also on the bland side comparatively,even when I eat out. I don't know if that really should be the case, but the seasonings just doesn't gets into the roll.

I did the recipe and measured the ingredients by % of  pork weight,so that I can cook it with the same taste with another slab of pork belly that may come with another weight.

800gm of belly sounds like a lot..but when sliced... they don't look like that much. My hubby enjoyed the chashu slices a lot.
I froze half of it to consume another day.

fragile....... not easy to slice

Rolled Chashu
by WendyinKK 
Reference: Serious Eats

800gm belly (skin on)
80gm spring onions(10%), sectioned
40gm ginger(5%), sliced
40gm shallots(5%), halved
80gm mirin (10%)
160gm sake (20%)
80gm Japanese soy sauce(10%)
80gm sugar (10%)
4gm salt (0.5%)
3-4 m cotton strings

*some recipes call for garlic, some don't.

1. Get a flat slab of belly, roll it up and tie it very tightly and neatly with cotton strings.
2. Put the belly into the pot that fits the pork nicely, and the rest of ingredients too. top with enough water to cover the belly roll.
3. Bring to a gentle boil with medium heat.
4. Turn heat to low and simmer for 2.5 hours. Turning it every half an hour after the first hour.
5. Turn off the heat and let it cool down. Put the belly roll into a ziplock bag and strain the gravy and pour it into the bag. tighten the bag with a clip. Let it marinate for a few hours at room temp. Chill in fridge after that.
6. To serve, remove cotton strings and thinly slice the cooled pork.

*Do not discard the gravy. Use it to make Ajitsuke Tomago and to season your ramen

I am submitting this to Asian Food Fest Japan Month, 

hosted by Alan of Travelling Foodies