At a dinner party earlier this week, a nutritionist from China told me point-blank the main problem with American diets is the overwhelming meat consumption. Meat was a bigger culprit that carbs or complex sugars, he said. Americans think nothing of eating a 22 oz. steak or a bucket of fried chicken in a single meal, with potato as a "vegetable" side. There's not moderation in this country, and that's why obesity is such a huge problem. I nodded and agreed, mentioning, among other things, the now notorious Double Down. 

The next night, without thinking, I made a pound of pork belly for dinner. 

To be fair, it was one of those cold and windy April days, and braised pork just seemed like a good idea. Frequent readers of this blog may remember that I have numerous other pork recipes. I mean, it's kind of a sin for someone of Asian descent to not be obsessed with fatty pork.

I decided to try a Japanese version of braised pork belly (buta no kakuni) and see how it tastes compared to the Chinese counterpart, red-cooked pork. The two cooking methods seem pretty similar side-by-side. There are some minor differences: fewer spices used, and lack of par-boiling the meat prior to browning it. Also, I was curious how pork braised in soy sauce, sake, and star anise would taste with mustard.

So, save this for a day when you have just run 10 miles, did an intense Bikram session, or maybe just had salad for lunch. You'll want the butcher to leave the skin on, because really, that's the only way to eat braised pork belly.  I think the hard boiled egg is a nice addition for a side, although the Japanese also eat it with daikon. Either white rice or ramen is great for soaking up the sauce.

And I should just avoid talking to nutritionists from now on, to avoid becoming a hypocrite. 

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Japanese Braised Pork Belly (Buta no kakuni)

Serves 4

1 pound pork belly (skin on is best!), cubed
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1/4 cup chopped leeks or scallions
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sake
1 to 2 pieces star anise
4 eggs
A dab of mustard on the side

1. In a large pot, sauté pork belly on all sides until it starts to turn golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. There's not need for any oil; the fat coming off the pork is plenty. Sprinkle in the ginger and leeks and sauté very briefly, about 30 seconds.

2. Add the sugar over the pork and stir. The sugar should sink down to the bottom of the pot and begin to caramelize. Toss the pork so that it gets coated by the caramelizing sugar. Careful to not let the sugar burn.

3. Add enough water to the pot to fully cover the pork. Add the soy sauce, sake, and star anise. Adjust the heat to low, and allow your pork to simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Go read, do laundry, catch up on Facebook. Your house will start to smell nice.

4. When the pork is close to done, hard boil your eggs. Once your eggs are cooked, rinse them under cool water, and remove the shells. Add your eggs to the pot for about 5 to 10 minutes so the outside absorbs some of the braising liquid.

5. When you think the pork is melty enough for your liking, remove from heat and serve over ramen or rice.

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Other pork recipes to try: 

Cantonese Roast Pork (Char Siu)

Red-Cooked Pork (Hongshao rou)

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork

Twice-Cooked Pork (Huiguo rou)

Pork Adobo

Sweet and Sour Pork