Homemade Recipe: Braised Pork Belly for Ramen

Just a simple braise for pork belly to serve with ramen (goes great with instant or otherwise). Feel free to experiment to taste but I used (roughly):

• 1 pound of pork belly
• 1 part soy sauce
• 1 part mirin
• 4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
• 1 sprig of green onion (chopped into inches)
• 2 inches of ginger (crushed)
• sesame oil

Trim the skin from the pork belly. Then brown the pork belly in a pan.

Mix the other ingredients in a bowl. Taste the mixture and adjust according to your tastes. (Next time, I would add more garlic and ginger and less soy sauce. It turned out a bit too salty, so keep in mind when you taste the mixture, that the it will reduce and the flavors will magnify as a result. I might also try some apple or pear juice next time.)

Put the pork belly in a pot and add the mixture. Add enough water (or you can add canned broth if you like) to surround the meat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer uncovered for about 3 hours till the meat is ready to fall apart. Add more water or broth as necessary to keep the pork belly surrounded but not covered. Slice however you like and serve.

If you want a more intense flavor, you can let the pork cool and store it in the fridge with the juices (after you strain it) overnight. This will allow you to skim the fat and let the pork absorb the juices. Freeze what you don't use and reheat to serve.