Kakuni (Japanese Braised Pork)

by OAugust 31, 2020July 21, 2020
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Kakuni (Japanese braised pork belly)

Kakuni is one of classic Japanese dishes packed with Umami. The porks are so tender that you even can not carry them up with chopsticks.
I’m using a rice cooker in this recipe. You may also use an instant pot, a slow cooker, or a normal pot to cook Kakuni. Kakuni goes perfect with cooked white rice! Be careful not to eat too much...
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time50 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: Kakuni, miso paste, mom's recipe, pork, rice cooker
Servings: 4 people
Author: Junko
Cost: 10

Equipment

  • a rice cooker / an instant pot / a slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pork belly You can also use pork ribs.
  • 1/2 Japanese radish
  • 4 Boiled eggs

The Seasonings

  • 6 Tbsp Soy sauce
  • 6 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Sake Japanese cooking wine or just water
  • 2 tsp Miso paste
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1 Tbsp Minced ginger
  • 1 piece of parchment paper This is to make “Otoshi-buta”, which is used for making a circulation to season the ingredients in the pot evenly.

Instructions

  • Cut the pork and the radish into bite-sizes.
  • Place the cut porks, radishes and all the seasonings into a rice cooker.
  • Cover them with a piece of parchment paper.
  • (Make some slits on the paper. See the picture.)
  • Push the start button with a normal setting. That’s it!

Notes

  • You can parboil the porks in advance to reduce the fat. It’ll make the dish lower calorie, healthier, as well as reducing the smell of pork.
  • If you’re using an instant pot, cook for 10mins and leave it until the pressure is gone naturally.
  • If you’re using a slow cooker, cook for 5-6 hours on the high heat. I recommend you to wait and eat it the next day.