Classic Chashu Don Recipe

Pork has never been better! This melt-in-your-mouth pork is an absolute delicacy served alone or with a favorite side dish. 

Cashu don pork is a dish made from pork belly which is simmered in a sweet-savory sauce. After the pork is cooked, the sauce is strained and the pork is left in that sauce to soak up flavors for another eight hours.

The result is amazing – juicy and flavorful pork that melts in your mouth.

How To Make Cashu Don Pork

The recipe is very easy. You need a nice piece of pork belly and some seasonings. The most challenging part is to tie the pork belly with kitchen twine.

It is not that difficult but it can be confusing if you are doing this for the first time. Still, there are different tutorials on how to do it and I will also share info about my method in the recipe.

Once your pork belly is all tied up, you just have to cook it in a wonderful concoction of soy sauce, sake, mirin, ginger, garlic, and green onions. Once the pork is cooked, place it aside to cool and transfer into a zip-lock bag.

Simmer the sauce even more until you have around ½ cup and pour the sauce over the pork. Let the pork rest for 8 hours. Slice the pork and serve as desired.

What Is Cashu Don Pork?

Cashu Don pork is a Japanese version of Chinese BBQ pork called Char Siu.

Unlike the Chinese version that includes grilling, the Japanese version requires simmering the meat, followed by a gentle sear, which results in soft pork with a beautiful outer layer.

To Roll Or Not To Roll?

The most common preparation for Cashu is by rolling a big slab of pork belly into a log with kitchen twine.

The main reason for this is to keep the pork moist. As the meat is not directly exposed to the sauce, the meat will not get dry and still absorb flavors. 

Rolled pork usually takes more time to cook, and you will have to rotate it during the cooking time so it absorbs all the flavors. 

Non-rolled Cashu is just pork belly cooked in the same spices. This is great if you have smaller cuts of pork belly that cannot be rolled or just want to reduce cooking time.

The benefit of braising non-rolled Cashu is that braising time takes just one hour because the pork slab is fairly flat and thinner than rolled pork, and will easily absorb flavors. 

How To Tie Pork Belly

This is my method of tying the rolled pork and meat cuts in general:

• Roll the pork belly into a log. If you think your log is too thick, cut off any extra meat and save it for other recipes.
• Once the pork belly is rolled, wrap the meat with kitchen twine on one end and make a double knot. Wrap the pork 2-3 times on the same end to make sure it is secured. 
• Run the twine across the log to the far end and wrap 2-3 times tightly. Now, both ends are secured. 
• From this end, start wrapping tightly and work toward the starting point, keeping 1/3 between each wrap. Once you reach the starting point, run the twine under some wraps around the middle and then bring it back to the starting point. Make a double knot with the two ends of butcher twine.

How To Make An Otoshibuta

Making Cashu pork requires an Otoshibuta, or drop lid, to ensure even cooking. The drop lids are usually made from wood or stainless steel. This lid is important because it presses down the ingredients and limits evaporation.

Still, if you do not have an Otishibuta, you can make your own. You can use aluminum foil or parchment paper. Just shape the aluminum foil or baking paper to fit your deep sauce pot and make holes on one.

Place the improvised lid over the pork during the cooking time. 

How To Serve Cashu Don Pork

You can serve the Cahsu pork as you desire. I love serving mine with Cashu donburi, which consists of rice, eggs, and Japanese mayonnaise on top.

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