We cannot travel at the minute, and Boris has just said it would be a while! So why not let our tastebuds do the sightseeing! The Japanese are known for their nose to tail eating habits, and here this pork cheeks recipe is perfect for those who love Char Sui. This is a one-pot all-in kind of recipe that I love!
Ingredients:
2 pork cheeks (or pork belly)
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin (or sherry, rice wine, or apple cider vinegar)
1 tablespoon miso
2 tablespoons sake (optional)
1-inch fresh ginger sliced
2 large cloves garlic crushed
12 peppercorns
Here is how to make this recipe:
Pop all the ingredients into a saucepan large enough. It needs to be big enough; you can place the cheeks on the bottom without them laying over each other, but not too big as we want the liquid to cover them. Pop all the ingredients into the pot and simmer over medium heat for about 1 hour or until the meat is tender. Allow the pork cheeks to cool in the juices. Once cooled, lift out and wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge, as it will make it easier to slice.
Slice the Chashu thinly against the grain and serve. We used sliced red braised cabbage as a bed, though you may use ramen noodles for authenticity.
If you’d like, you could slice a little thicker and then have it on a bed of rice, with some of the braising liquid drizzled on top.
