00:00If you're looking for a dish that is packed with flavour and melts in your mouth,
00:04then look no further than this Bhutan no Kakuni,
00:07a Japanese homestyle dish made with tender marinated pork belly.
00:11You can also find this recipe on my website, along with over 400 Japanese recipes.
00:16Just google Kakuni space Dachi to find me.
00:20I'm going to start by taking a frying pan large enough to fit my slab of pork belly
00:24and heat it on medium. Place it in the pan and sear it on each side.
00:30This is about 700g or 1.5lbs.
00:34I've got to say, whenever I make this dish, I always think the pork looks so big at the beginning,
00:40but once it's cooked, I always regret not getting a bigger one.
00:43Not only because it shrinks, but also just because it's so delicious.
00:48Anyway, this step helps render out some of the excess fat,
00:51and those grill marks look pretty nice too.
00:54But honestly, it's an optional step.
00:57Some people don't sear it at all.
00:59Other people boil first then sear.
01:01It's a personal preference.
01:03I do find it holds its shape better if you sear it does.
01:07Once it's seared all over, take it off the heat and let it cool down a little bit before you
01:13cut it.
01:14While you wait for it to cool down, you can start boiling your pot of water.
01:18When it's cool enough to touch, cut it into cubes a bit bigger than bite size.
01:22This pork belly is actually a bit wider than I anticipated, so I'm cutting it in half lengthways first.
01:31Ideally, you should do this before searing because now it might lose its shape when simmering,
01:36but that's okay, it's still gonna taste amazing.
01:38If you're wondering about the name,
01:41buta no kaku ni, it's pretty straightforward when you break it down.
01:45In Japanese, buta is poked.
01:46Kaku means it's cut into these nice little cubes,
01:50and ni tells us it's all simmered together.
01:58Once they're all cut, place them in a pot of boiling water and cook them for 10 minutes.
02:08The purpose of this pre-boiling is to remove the excess fat and make the meat extra tender.
02:14Pork belly has a lot of fat, but the best part of kaku ni is to enjoy the melted fat.
02:20By pre-boiling the meat, you can remove excess fat and only enjoy the tasty parts.
02:31After 10 minutes, drain the pork and rinse it with cold water like this.
02:35This is just to remove the excess fat I was talking about.
02:39Rinse out the pot and fill it back up with fresh water.
02:43Bring it to a boil once more and then add the pork back in.
02:47This time we're going to make a simple broth, so add 30g of sliced ginger root,
02:53the green parts of a Japanese leek we call negi, or regular leek if it's not available.
03:01Adding new ingredients to the pot will lower the temperature of the water,
03:05so wait for it to come back to a boil before lowering it to a simmer,
03:09and leave it to gently bubble for an hour.
03:18Check it regularly to make sure the pork is always submerged in the broth,
03:22and top up the water if necessary.
03:24Exposing any part of the pork to the air can cause it to harden or dry out,
03:29and that's the opposite of what we want.
03:31After an hour, turn off the heat and take 500ml of the stock from the pot.
03:36We're going to use this as a base for our marinade.
03:40Pour it into a saucepan.
03:47And then add 100ml of lager beer.
03:56One tablespoon of honey.
03:59Two tablespoons of light brown sugar.
04:02And 100ml of soy sauce.
04:05We're just going to bring that to a boil.
04:07Any brand of lager beer is suitable for this recipe.
04:10For a more elegant touch, you could use an equal amount of white wine.
04:15And for a more Japanese flavour, swap it for sake.
04:19Using alcohol contributes to the melting mouth texture
04:22and improves the overall flavour, so I don't recommend omitting it.
04:27As always, all the ingredients and exact measurements for this recipe
04:31can be found in the description box below.
04:34Once the mixture is bubbling, add the pork belly pieces
04:37and leave that to simmer on low for 30 minutes.
04:41This time, add a droplet.
04:43This will promote even cooking and flavouring,
04:46and reduce the amount of evaporation.
04:49You can check out my how to make otoshibuta video if you don't have one.
04:54While we wait, I'm going to show you how to make a classic Japanese leaf garnish
04:58called Shiraganagi, while I tell you a little history about this dish.
05:03Kakini is believed to have been inspired by the Chinese Dongpo Pouk.
05:07Now, if you're wondering how this dish made its way to Japan,
05:11we need to travel back to the Edo period, which is around 1603 to 1868.
05:21Back then, Japan wasn't exactly open for business with the whole world.
05:25They were pretty selective about who they traded with.
05:28There was this tiny artificial island called Bejima in Nagasaki prefecture,
05:33that served as a Japanese window to the outside world.
05:37That's why this dish first stepped onto Japanese soil.
05:40From there, it spread throughout Kyushu and even made its way to Okinawa.
05:45Over time, Japanese cooks started adding their own twist to it,
05:48and now it's become such a staple in Japanese home cooking.
05:53When we hear the word Kakuni, Japanese people like me automatically think of pork belly,
05:58but it doesn't have to be pork, and there are also versions that use other ingredients,
06:04such as tuna, bonito, beef, vegetables, tofu, and konnyaku.
06:15Okay, let's check on our pork.
06:17It's been simmering for 30 minutes in the marinade, and it looks like this.
06:22Technically, you could eat it straight away, but I'm going to continue marinating it off of the heat
06:28for even more flavour.
06:32I'll leave that to cool completely, and then when it's cool enough to touch,
06:37add some boiled eggs, marinade for one more hour or longer in the fridge if you have time.
06:54When you want to serve it, return it to the stove to warm it through.
06:58I'll take the eggs out first because these are soft boiled,
07:02and I don't want them to overcook, but you can warm them through a bit if you prefer.
07:10The brazen liquid from Kakuni is a flavourful concoction, rich with the essence of the pork,
07:17and the depth of soy sauce. Discarding it would indeed be wasteful. You can use this to make noodle
07:24soup as a secret ingredient for curry rice, fried rice, more marinated eggs, you can get creative with it.
07:36And there it is! Tender, melting-mouthed Japanese
07:39Butanokakuni with Shiraganegi and bonus marinated eggs. You can serve this as a side dish,
07:46or for a complete meal, serve it over rice and transform it into a donburi.
07:51It's also perfect for steamed buns. The possibilities are endless.
07:57Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
08:03Thank you everyone who voted for this recipe, and thank you for watching.
08:07If you'd like to see the written version with more tips and info,
08:10check out the article on my blog, I've put the link on the screen.
08:14And if you loved this video, don't miss my pork playlist popping up on your screen right now.
08:19Hope to see you in the next video. Until then, bye!
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