What is your favorite ramen topping? For me, it is the perfectly cooked soft-boiled marinated Ramen Egg (Ajitsuke Tamago). But for most people I know, including Mr. JOC, it is the melt-in-your-mouth juicy, tender, and flavorful slices of braised pork belly known as Chashu (チャーシュー).
What is Chashu?
Japanese have adapted the famous Chinese barbecued pork called Char Siu (叉燒) as chāshū (チャーシュー). Unlike the Chinese version which requires roasting over high heat, we prepare the meat by rolling it into a log and then braising it over low heat in a sauce seasoned with soy sauce, sake, and sugar. In Japanese, Chashu is sometimes called “Nibuta” (煮豚), literally means simmered/braised pork, as opposed to “Yakibuta” (焼豚), which means barbecued pork. The Japanese enjoy Chashu as a topping for Ramen and other noodles, as well as Chashu over steamed rice called Chashu Don, like a rice bowl.
The Original Chinese Char Siu
Traditionally, Chinese char siu is marinated in soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, rice wine, five-spice powder, and red food coloring, and then roasted in a covered oven or barbecued over a fire. You have probably seen the slabs of barbecued pork hanging in Chinese deli shop windows. Chinese Char Siu offers a good bite with marked, smoky grilled flavor, while Japanese chashu is appreciated for its succulent and fork-tender texture.
Watch How to Make Chashu
Make this easy, melt-in-your-mouth Chashu pork belly recipe at home! Braised in a sweet and savory sauce, you can now add the tender slice of meat as topping to your next bowl of ramen. It’s the most fulfilling reward for any pork belly lover out there!
A Quick Rundown on How to Make Chashu Pork
First, we sear the pork belly over high heat to caramelize the surface of the meat. My go-to choice is a solid cast iron pan which I use for searing meats. With a cast iron, you can really turn up the heat and food comes in direct contact with an evenly heated surface. This step makes a great difference with the finished dish, enhancing it with complex layers of flavors. After searing the meat, we then braise the meat in a soy sauce based seasoning on a simmering low heat for about 1-2 hours. The pork will slowly soak up all the flavors in the pot. Ginger and long green onion (in Japan it goes by a few names – Naganegi (長ねぎ), Shironegi (白ねぎ) or Tokyo negi (東京ねぎ)) help remove any unsavory smell and add more depth to the sauce. When the sauce is reduced, transfer the meat to a bag or a container with a little bit of sauce, and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight to intensify the flavors. Next day it’s finally ready to serve. Slice the Chashu thinly but thick enough for the chopsticks to clasp on.
Chashu 2 Ways: Rolled (Log) vs. Non-Rolled (Block)
Chashu served on ramen is often rolled up although many ramen shops do serve slices of the Non-Rolled Chashu in Japan. Both ways are legitimate Chashu by the standard of ramen shops, but let’s take a look at the two options.
Rolled Chashu (Log)
The most common preparation for Chashu served on ramen is by rolling a big slab of pork belly into a log with butcher’s twine. The main reason for that is to keep the pork moist. As the meat is not directly exposed to the sauce, meat does not get dry yet it still absorbs flavors. When I roll the pork belly into a log shape, I usually increase the amount of cooking time because you will need more time to rotate the Chashu and to make sure it soaks up all the good flavors. You may wonder why I don’t increase the amount of seasoning so that Chashu will be completely submerged. Ramen shops make Chashu every day and they keep re-using the cooking sauce by combining with a new batch of seasoning. To a home cook, it is rather wasteful to make such a big batch of cooking sauce. That’s why you will need 2 hours to cook Rolled Chashu (as opposed to 1 hour for Non-rolled Chashu).
Non-Rolled Chashu (Block)
If you don’t need a lot of Chashu, consider making Non-Rolled Chashu with smaller blocks of pork belly. The pork belly blocks I buy from the local Japanese supermarket come in small pieces (¾ to 1 lb). Since you don’t need to roll them up into a log, you can start searing the pork belly right away. The benefit of Non-Rolled Chashu is that braising time takes just 1 hour as the slab of pork belly is fairly flat and easily absorbs flavors. Make sure to use Otoshibuta (drop lid) so that the sauce will circulate nicely and there will not be too much evaporation during braising. Chashu (Non-Rolled Chashu) served with Shiraga Negi topping and Ramen Egg.
How to Roll and Tie Chashu
Why do we roll Chashu?
To maintain the shape after rendering fat.To keep the moisture in the meat (protected by outer layer/rind).To look pretty
Learn how to roll and tie pork belly correctly
You can find the step-by-step pictures in the recipe below and the video above to go over the step, but here’s the quick summary.
Find out the right orientation for rolling. One or both ends should have the “bacon” like appearance, showing the varying layers of meat and fat.Roll up and find how much pork belly you need for a nice cooking Chashu. Cut off any extra meat and save it for other recipes.Once you roll up the pork belly into a log, wrap the meat with a butcher twine on one end and make a double knot.Wrap 2-3 more times on the same end (the starting point) to make sure it is secured.Then run the twine across the log to the far end and wrap 2-3 times tightly. Both ends are now secured.From this end, start wrapping tightly and work toward the starting point, keeping ⅓ inches (1 cm) between each wrap.Once you reach the starting point, run the twine under some wraps around the middle and then bring back to the starting point.Make a double knot with two ends of the butcher twine.
What Cut of Pork Do We Use for Chashu?
The ideal cut for chashu is pork belly, although you can use pork shoulder, and sometimes pork loin. Keep in mind that the last two choices don’t get the melt-in-your-mouth texture as they do not have as much fat as pork belly. In Japanese cooking, we usually use pork belly without a rind/skin (except for making certain Chinese or Okinawan recipes). I always use pork belly for my Chashu recipe, but if you try pork shoulder, let me know. I personally would not recommend using pork loin for this recipe.
Where to Buy Pork Belly
You may not find pork belly sitting at the butcher window or sold pre-packaged, but most butchers should have them stored in the freezer. So don’t be shy to ask the butcher at your local grocery stores or meat deli. Ready to make pork belly on the same day? Do call ahead and factor in the defrosting time as they usually come frozen. The best place to shop for pork belly is Korean grocery stores. They sell different thicknesses and sizes of pork belly. I usually request the butcher to cut a specific size just for me. You can also ask the butcher to remove the rind/skin (if there is any) or remove it yourself using a sharp knife.
How to Cut Chashu
It’s pretty easy to cut the Chashu into thin slices when it has been rested in the refrigerator overnight. A sharp bread knife would make your job relatively easier too. I don’t usually use up the entire Chashu in one meal, so I’d cut it into several thin slices for Ramen, and then cut the rest into 2 to 3 blocks and pack each piece in the Food Savor bag to store in the freezer. I’ll show you below how I use Chashu besides Ramen.
How to Reheat Chashu
There are 3 ways to reheat Chashu:
Soak Chashu in the hot cooking sauce.Directly put in the hot noodle soup.Sear the Chashu using a culinary butane torch. We call this Aburi Chashu (炙りチャーシュー). Aburi means searing in Japanese and you may have heard about Aburi Toro and Aburi Salmon from the sushi menu.
I use searing options to reheat Chashu and to add smoky charred flavor. Don’t forget to drizzle some hot cooking liquid on top! Miso Ramen
Various Ways to Enjoy Chashu
Besides enjoying Chashu with ramen or by itself, you can also use it for many other dishes. Here are my suggestions:
Noodle dishes – Hiyashi Chuka and TsukemenRice dishes – Chashu Don (over rice) and Chashu Fried Rice – a great way to use up the broken pieces or edges of Chashu.Sandwiches – Serve with steamed buns (use this recipe)
What to Do with Leftover Chashu Cooking Sauce
Stir fry seasoningMarinate for grilling meatMake Ramen Egg
Family’s Favorite Recipe for a Long Time!
I’ve been cooking this exact Chashu recipe for almost 20 years (and on the blog since 2011) and my family loves it. It’s not that difficult to make at all, but you may need to be around in the kitchen while simmering the meat. The final reward is phenomenal and it’s totally worth your time! Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Notes: This post was originally shared in May 2011. The first video was added in September 2014 with new images. New video and images are added in May 2019.
