Equipment:
- Medium pan, plate,
- medium pot, whisk, medium saucepan
- Olive oil
- 2 pounds (1 kg) pork belly, cut into large
- cubes
- 3-inch (7.5-cm) piece of ginger, peeled and
- cut in half
- 3 scallions, cut in half
- 1 fennel bulb, quartered
Braising Sauce
- 2 cups (500 ml) dashi
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sake
- ¼ cup (60 ml) mirin
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) soy sauce
- ¼ cup (60 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) firmly packed brown
- sugar
- Line a plate with two layers of paper towels. In a pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the pork belly and cook until all sides have browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pork belly to the paper towel-lined plate and pat dry to remove any excess oil.
- Transfer the pork belly to a pot. Add the ginger, scallions, and fennel quarters the pot. Fill with enough water to just cover all the ingredients.Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.Reduce the heat and simmer until the pork has softened, 2 to 3 hours.
- Strain the pork and pat dry. In a medium saucepan over medium-high, whisk together the dashi, sake, mirin, soy sauce, granulated sugar,and brown sugar. Add the pork belly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 1 hour, occasionally turning the pork belly to cover all sides in the sauce.
