Chashu(Yakibuta). Yakibuta is roast pork similar to Cha Siu of China. While Cha Siu uses a variety of spices such as star anise and cinnamon and also honey to flavor the meat, Japanese Yakibuta has a much simpler taste. Yakibuta is usually sliced thinly and served as a dish for an appetizer or a part of meals, and it is also a very popular topping for Ramen.

Yakibuta (chashu) is not something I would make often because it is so sinfully 'fatty' even though it is so delicious! We use this for ramen too, but this is so good with just plain hot rice! My mom used to slice it a bit thicker, drizzle the braising liquid over the yakibuta, and top with thinly julienned ginger and chopped green onion. You can have Chashu(Yakibuta) using 8 ingredients and 7 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Chashu(Yakibuta)

Prepare 600 g of pork belly.
It's 200 ml of water.
You need 100 ml of soy sauce.
You need 100 ml of cooking sake or white wine.
You need 120 g of sugar.
It's 2 cloves of garlic.
It's 20 g of ginger.
You need 1 of green onion.

Chashu is the Chinese reading of Kanji script 焼豚 but it can also be read as Yakibuta in Japanese. Despite the kanji reading of "yaki", which means grilled or fried, the pork meat you usually find in ramen is more like a braised pork in a soy sauce base. I have posted a recipe for char siu, or Chinese style roast pork, previously. Plus, it makes a great staple for bentos, so here it is.

Chashu(Yakibuta) instructions

Coil a thread up pork belly neatly.
Grill the whole surface.
Mix all ingredients.
Simmer them for 2 hours..
Wrap the pork and put it in fridge for 2 hours..
Take off the thread.
Slice thinly.

This video will show you how to make Yakibuta, Japanese style roast pork. Great appetizer and perfect topping for Ramen noodle soup. The chashu was more yakibuta style then chashu style using pork belly, which I absolutely love and some would avoid because of heath. I've spent and enjoyed just the yakibuta alone. I feel my meal was yakibuta with free ramen.