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Tender pieces of slow cooked pork belly, this Kakuni recipe is melt-in-your mouth tender, rich and delicious. Braised in a ginger broth, then served in a sweet soy sauce based sauce, this Japanese Pork Belly is also easy to make!
This Kakuni (or Japanese Pork Belly) is one of the best things ever. Braised in an incredible cooking liquid then caramelized under the broiler, this stuff is SO GOOD.
And it's SO EASY. Throwing some pork belly in a pot and letting it simmer on low for a couple hours just doesn't take that much effort.
And at the end you have a beautiful fall apart tender melt-in-your-mouth piece of pork - like with this Chinese braised pork belly or these braised pork shanks that we really love too!
Seriously, this pork just melts in your mouth. It's incredible. Serve it on top of some rice with some sliced green onions and you've got yourself a pot of gold.
These Pork Belly Tacos are another great way to indulge in pork belly, as is this Crispy Pork Belly Yakisoba, pork belly sandwich or sous vide pork belly.
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What is Kakuni?
Kakuni is a classic Japanese braised pork belly dish. It is typically slow cooked until tender and served in a sweet soy sauce based sauce.
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Ingredients
Most of these ingredients can be found at your local grocery store.
- Pork Belly - see below for tips on choosing the best pork belly for this recipe. You should be able to get it at your local grocery store or butcher. You can also buy pork belly online.
- Dashi powder - combined with water, this makes a dashi stock, or a dried kelp and bonito flake broth, used often in Japanese cooking.
- Mirin - sweet Japanese rice wine.
- Sake - Japanese rice wine.
If you want to learn a little more about the Japanese ingredients I use in my cooking, check out this post on the Japanese Pantry Essentials.
The full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to Choose Pork Belly
For the best results, buy center cut pork belly, and get it as lean as you can. Pork belly has a very high fat content, and while we want the fat (it's what makes it so good!), we also want a good ratio of meat to fat, like we use in this Twice Cooked Pork.
Learn more about pork belly.
Why This Recipe Works
- Braising the pork belly in a lightly seasoned broth helps it to become melt-in-your-mouth tender;
- Broiling the pork belly after it finishes braising adds perfectly crisp, caramelized edges. Which are incredible.
- The sugar in the cooking liquid makes the pork belly deliciously sticky and balances the saltiness of the dashi and soy sauce.
Step By Step Instructions
Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat and add the pork belly. Brown on all sides.
Cover the pork belly with water and add the piece of ginger and the green onions.
Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for about 2 hours.
Drain the pork belly and add it back to the pot with all the other ingredients.
Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer another 30 minutes.
Drain and place the pork belly on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place pork belly under the broiler to crisp the edges. Crisp on both sides.
Serve over Instant Pot sushi rice, in ramen or with vegetables.
Expert Tips
- Place the pork belly under the broiler for 5-10 minutes to crisp up the fat. Be careful not to let it burn! It will burn quickly due to the sugar in the braising liquid.
- Buy the pork belly with the least amount of fat you can find. It will still have plenty of fat to be nice and tender.
- If you don't have sake, you can substitute a dry white wine.
- You can substitute chicken stock for the dashi, but the flavor of the dish will not be as good.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend reheating the pork belly in the oven for the best results. This will enable the skin to crisp back up. Be careful not to overcook.
Leftover kakuni can be stored in the freezer (in a freezer safe bag or container) for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven to re-crisp the skin.
Pork belly is typically tough when it hasn't been cooked long enough. It can also be tough if you choose a meat that is too lean and overcook it - it should have a good amount of fat on it, while still having a good amount of meat.
Kakuni is not typically spicy. Kakuni is a braised pork belly commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It has a sweet and savory taste. If you want to make it spicy, you can serve it with hot sauce or chili oil.
How to Use Kakuni (Ways to Eat Kakuni)
- Serve it with some steamed white rice or Fried Rice and garnish it with sliced green onions;
- Place slices of kakuni in Homemade Ramen;
- Serve it with a side of veggies like this Baby Bok Choy or pickles to cut the richness of the pork.
- Serve it on a sandwich with a Japanese mayonnaise.
If you're a pork lover like I am, you may want to also browse all the Pork Recipes - there are some ultra delicious ones on the site!
Did you make this Kakuni recipe? Rate the recipe and leave me a comment to let me know how it turned out!
This recipe was originally published in January 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.
Recipe
Kakuni (Japanese Pork Belly)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds pork belly
- 2 cups water
- 2 ½ teaspoons dashi stock
- ½ cup mirin
- ¼ cup sake
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 inch piece of ginger peeled
- 6 green onions ends removed and cut in half
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat and brown the pork belly on all sides.
- Add enough water to cover the pork belly and add the ginger and green onions. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for 2 hours. Pork belly should be tender.
- Drain the pork belly. I highly recommend saving the cooking liquid for future use.
- Put remaining ingredients in a pot with pork belly and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes, uncovered. Sauce should be reduced.
- Drain and place pork belly pieces on a lined baking sheet. Broil each side for 3-5 minutes, until lightly crisped and caramelized.
Expert Tips:
- Place the pork belly under the broiler for 5-10 minutes to crisp up the fat. Be careful not to let it burn! It will burn quickly due to the sugar in the braising liquid.
- Buy the pork belly with the least amount of fat you can find. It will still have plenty of fat to be nice and tender.
- If you don't have sake, you can substitute a dry white wine.
- You can substitute chicken stock for the dashi, but the flavor of the dish will not be as good.
Nutrition
Byron E Thomas says
I have to tell you, I consider myself to be a pork belly expert. Lord knows I've eaten my fair share of it! But, this, my dear, was simply amazing! I overate, but I don't care, and I can't wait to make it again! The little bit of sugar was odd to me, but it created the perfect balance. Delicious!
Danielle says
I'm so glad you liked it Byron!
Kylee from Kylee Cooks says
This looks so incredibly good. I love pretty much anything that is cooked low and slow. I love that you answered all my questions, before I could even ask them!
Danielle says
Thanks Kylee!
Tara says
Oh my gosh, this looks fabulous! Definitely trying it ASAP.
Danielle says
Thanks Tara 🙂
Jas @ All that's Jas says
Such a simple but flavorful comfort dish! Saving for later!
Danielle says
Thanks Jas!
Suzy says
Drooling over this pork belly! I love how simple you made this look to cook up! Trying this ASAP!
Danielle says
Hope you love it Suzy!
Ashley @ Sweetpea Lifestyle says
Yummmmm!!!! I cannot wait to make this for supper club at the end of the month!
Danielle says
Hope you love it!
Heidy L. McCallum says
I love almost any Japenese recipe and always want to try different things so this is a MUST make for me ASAP! My best friend is Japenese and I would love to make something to surprise her.
Danielle says
I hope you get a chance to try it Heidy!
Tisha says
This looks like a delicious heart meal! Love the crispiness of the meat, adds a great texture!
Danielle says
Thanks Tisha!
kim says
Yum! This sounds so flavorful, warm and comforting! The perfect fall dinner idea! Can't wait to try it!
Danielle says
Thanks Kim!
Traci says
Wow! This is SO my jam and I can't tell you how much I love Japanese inspired pork belly. Sweet and savory for the win! 🙂
Danielle says
Pork belly is just the best!
Kelly Anthony says
Pot of gold is the perfect description for this japanese braised pork belly. My husband is going to go crazy over this melt in your mouth pork belly.
Danielle says
Pot of Gold - I love it!
Kate Wehmeyer says
The pork belly I bought at my favorite asian market turned out to be very thin like bacon ( couldn't tell that with they way they had it stacked in the package). It's in the simmer with the sauce stage now, looks like wrinkly pale flabby bacon. Hoping I can get it to look more appealing with broiling! Next time I'm going to just buy a slab & cut it like you did.
Making your caramelized pork ramen today -- polar vortex day here in Cincinnati, so perfect. I'm really hoping it turns out, my husband has been drooling every time he comes into the kitchen!
Danielle says
Oh no! Luckily since it's pork belly it will probably still taste good. But it is always best to get the larger pieces to keep it moist. I hope you love the ramen Kate and you guys try and stay warm!!
Tracy says
2" seems a bit large, the pieces in your photos dont look that thick.
Danielle says
My intent was to cut the pork belly in 2" pieces - it is not necessarily 2" thick. My pictures probably don't do a good job of showing this. Something I def need to update!
Layla says
Yessss...pork belly is the best! Sounds delish 🙂
Alex Turner says
This seems really delicious. I'm definitely gonna try this one at home.Thank you!
Danielle@wenthere8this says
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Hilda Sterner says
Yay, you fixed your comments issue! This looks very tasty... one these days when I can get my high cholesterol in check, I want to devour a bowl of Kakuni... I like that name. I spent a few months in Japan when I was in the Navy, when I was 18 years old. The only thing I ate was yakisoba. Wish I was more adventurous back then, but better late than never, I guess!
Danielle@wenthere8this says
I'm so glad you were able to comment! I was hoping I had fixed the issue. My cholesterol runs a little high but I haven't had it checked in a few years...I eat too much pork belly! I wish I had been more adventurous younger too, but oh well, right? I hope you get to try this soon!