Homemade Chashu Ramen

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb pork belly block, cut into 2 inch pieces (but I forgot to do that this time…)
• 1 tsp. Konbucha* or salt
• 1/2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 inch ginger, sliced
• 1 Tokyo Negi (or leaks/green onions), cut into 2 inch pieces of green part, and cut white part for Shiraga Negi
• 2 pkg of Ramen noodles (usually 2 servings each package)
Seasonings
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup sake
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. sugar (I used cane sugar this time)
Sample Toppings Idea
• Bean sprout, corn kernels, dried seaweed (wakame), boiled eggs, picked ginger (kizami shoga), Shiraga Negi, green onions, etc.

Instructions:

1. Sprinkle Konbucha over meat.
2. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat oil over medium heat and brown all sides of meat. It will take some time to brown nicely.

3. While browning, put seasonings, ginger, and Tokyo Negi in a small/medium pot (Dutch oven if you have one).

4. After meat is browned, transfer it to the pot.

5. Place Otoshibuta (drop lid) on top of the meat.

6. Start cooking over medium heat, and once it starts to simmer, lower heat to medium low.
7. Cook covered with Otoshibuta and flip the meat once in a while. Cook until liquid is ¼ inch left in the pot and stay around in the kitchen to check if there is enough liquid. It can easily get burnt if there is no liquid left.
8. After cooking for 15-20 minutes, bubbles start to appear.

9. Turn off the heat if you see the bottom of the pot when you slide the meat. The sauce is now thickened and meat is shiny.

10. Take out the meat and cut into tin slices.

11. (Optional) Store it in air-tight container to rest. Add all the sauce in the container. If you eat the next day, put in the fridge after cooled down.

12. Prepare ramen noodles according to package instructions. While boiling water, prepare toppings of your choice to put on top of Ramen. Reheat the Chashu in microwave and serve on top of Ramen with toppings.