Traditional Ramen Restaurant Style Chashu

Traditional pork chashu is a Japanese tender-braised pork roll made from pork belly or pork shoulder/butt. The meat is rolled into a tight cylinder, tied with string, and simmered low and slow in a sweet-savory broth until melt-in-your-mouth soft. Includes Freezing instructions

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% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Roll It Tight: Tie the shoulder log firmly so it cooks uniformly and stays intact for slicing.

Step 2

Never Slice Warm: Slicing warm shoulder causes it to crumble. Always chill it completely first.

Step 3

Keep the White Negi: Save the white/light green part of the Tokyo negi for raw ramen toppings; use only the dark green tops for the boil.

Step 4

Use Bone-In pork and save the bone to simmer with your chashu or for ramen broth

Step 5

Remove the Bone. Locate the bone with your fingers. Using the tip of your sharp knife, cut small, shallow slices as close to the bone as possible, working around its contours until the bone detaches cleanly. (Set the bone aside to throw into Stage 2 for extra collagen!).

Step 6

Pat dry with a paper towel, and poke holes with a fork

Step 7

Butter-fly Heavy Spots (If Needed) Open the meat flat like a book. Look for thick, bulky lumps of meat. Make horizontal cuts halfway into any thick sections and fold them outward so the piece of pork sits as a flat, roughly even rectangle. Save those cut pieces for other dishes!

Step 8

Roll Into a Log. Orient the pork rectangle so the grain of the meat runs horizontally left-to-right. Starting from the edge closest to you, roll the meat upward tightly into a neat cylinder. Keep maximum tension as you roll to prevent any gaps in the middle.

Step 9

Tie with Butcher's Twine. First Loop: Tie a tight double knot around one end of the roll, about ½ inch from the edge. Wrap & Loop: Bring the long end of the string down the length of the log about ½ inch, wrap it all the way around the roll, and thread it under itself to lock a loop. Repeat: Repeat this loop every ½ inch down the entire length of the pork log, pulling firmly to compress the meat into a solid cylinder. Final Knot: Loop the string around the far end and tie a final tight double knot. Trim off any excess string.

Step 10

Place tied pork shoulder in a pot and cover with cold water (enough to submerge the pork.

Step 11

Bring to a rapid boil for 3–5 minutes until grey foam floats to the top.

Step 12

Drain liquid completely, rinse pork under cold water to clean off scum, and scrub the pot clean.

Step 13

Put cleaned pork, 4 cups of water, 1 Tokyo negi top, 1 inch sliced ginger, 3 crushed cloves of garlic, and 1 tbsp of sake into the pot.

Step 14

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 1.5 hours.

Step 15

Remove pork and set aside.

Step 16

Strain remaining liquid into a container—this is your pork broth base.

Step 17

In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup mirin, 1/4 cup sake, and 2 tbsp sugar over medium heat until sugar dissolves.

Step 18

Add the warm pork shoulder to the glaze. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, rolling meat constantly to coat all sides.

Step 19

Turn off heat. Leave pork in liquid and let cool completely in the pan to absorb flavors.

Step 20

BONUS FLAVOR - Pour the simmer liquid and the pork into a sealed container (ensure the pork is fully submerged) and refrigerate it overnight (or 8-24 hours) this really sets the flavor

Step 21

Chashu Pork: Remove cooled pork from glaze, cut off twine, and slice thinly. Place squares of parchment paper between slices, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. (Thaw and torch/pan-sear directly before serving).

Step 22

Pork Broth (from Stage 2): Cool broth completely, pour into airtight containers or freezer bags, and freeze. (Combine with chicken stock or dashi for your ramen soup).

Step 23

Chashu Tare Glaze (from Stage 3): Strain out solids, skim off top fat, and freeze in small containers or ice cube trays. (Use 2–3 tbsp to flavor ramen broth or marinate soft-boiled eggs).