Braised pork belly is perfect to serve in Donburi (丼, Japanese traditional “rice bowl dish”) style, and Donburi is one of my top choice on a lazy weekend day. I usually prepare the dish on Friday night and let it sit in the fridge overnight to allow the meat to absorb more flavor. On Saturday, I simply reheat the pork belly before serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of pork belly – skinless
• 2 large garlic groves
• 2 bulbs of green onion
• 2 inches ginger
• Dashi / fish broth (can substitute w/ water)
• Cooking rice wine
• Soy sauce
• Brown sugar
• Salt
• Kimchi (optional)
• Kewpie Mayonnaise (optional)

Clean and cut the pork belly into thick pieces about 2-inch long.

In a flat-bottom pot, lay the pork belly down in a single layer then turn the heat up to medium high. Fry the pork undisturbed until it’s slightly brown on both sides, then transfer to a plate.

Wash, trim, and cut green onion into 4-inch length. Cut ginger into slices. In the same pot, add the green onion, ginger, and garlic. Fry until slightly browned.

Return the pork to the pot. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 tsp of salt.

In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of Dashi with 3 tbs of soy sauce, 2 tbs of brown sugar, and 1 tbs of cooking rice wine. Pour the mixture over the pork.

Bring to a simmer and turn down the heat to medium-low for about 1 to 2 hours, or until the pork belly is fall-apart-tender.

To serve, place the pork belly over a bowl of rice with Kimchi and Kewpie Mayonnaise.