Buta no Kakuni (Japanese Braised Pork Belly)

Buta no Kakuni is Japanese braised pork belly that melts in your mouth with a rich, savory-sweet glaze. This traditional dish takes time but requires minimal active cooking—the pork simmers slowly until it becomes fork-tender and absorbs a deeply flavorful soy-based sauce.

What Is Buta no Kakuni?

Buta no Kakuni (豚の角煮) translates to “simmered pork cubes” in Japanese. It’s a classic home-cooked dish featuring thick-cut pork belly braised for hours in dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sake until the meat turns incredibly tender. The fat becomes silky, and each piece is glazed with a concentrated, savory-sweet sauce.

Ingredients

For the Pork

• 2 lbs (900g) pork belly, skin-on or skinless, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 4-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 green onions, cut into 3-inch pieces
• Water for boiling

For the Braising Liquid

• 2 cups dashi stock (or water with 1 tsp dashi powder)
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup sake
• ½ cup mirin
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey (optional, for extra glaze)

For Serving

• Hard-boiled eggs (optional)
• Blanched bok choy or mustard greens
• Steamed rice
• Japanese hot mustard (karashi)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Boil the Pork Belly (1 hour)

Place pork belly cubes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add ginger slices and green onions. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 60 minutes, skimming off foam and impurities that rise to the surface every 10-15 minutes.

Why this matters: This initial boil removes excess fat and impurities, preventing the final dish from being greasy and ensuring a cleaner flavor.

Step 2: Rinse and Prepare

Remove pork from the boiling liquid and rinse under warm water to wash away any remaining scum. Discard the boiling liquid. Pat the pork dry with paper towels.

Step 3: Make the Braising Liquid

In a clean pot or deep pan, combine dashi, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Step 4: Braise the Pork (1.5-2 hours)

Add the pork belly pieces to the braising liquid. The liquid should come halfway up the sides of the meat—add more dashi or water if needed. Place a drop lid (otoshibuta) or parchment paper directly on the surface of the liquid to keep the pork submerged.

Simmer on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours, turning the pork every 30 minutes. The pork is done when a chopstick or skewer slides through with no resistance.

Pro tip: If adding hard-boiled eggs, peel them and add during the last 30 minutes of cooking so they absorb the flavors.

Step 5: Reduce the Sauce

Remove the pork (and eggs if using) from the pot. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer the braising liquid for 5-10 minutes until it reduces to a thick, glossy glaze. Add honey here if you want extra shine.

Return the pork to the pot and gently coat each piece with the reduced sauce.

Step 6: Serve

Plate the pork belly with steamed rice, blanched greens, and braised eggs if using. Drizzle extra sauce over the top. Serve with a dab of Japanese hot mustard on the side.

Why Does Buta no Kakuni Take So Long to Cook?

Pork belly contains significant connective tissue and fat. The long, slow cooking process breaks down collagen into gelatin, transforming tough meat into melt-in-your-mouth tender pieces. Rushing this process results in chewy, tough pork. The low, steady heat is essential—this isn’t a dish you can shortcut.

What Cut of Pork Should I Use?

Use pork belly with alternating layers of fat and meat. Skin-on pork belly adds extra collagen for a richer texture, but skinless works well too. Avoid lean cuts like pork loin—they’ll dry out during the long braise. The fat is essential for the dish’s signature silky texture.

Can I Make Buta no Kakuni in a Pressure Cooker?

Yes. After the initial boil and rinse, add pork and braising liquid to a pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, then natural release for 15 minutes. Remove pork and reduce the sauce in a regular pot. The texture will be slightly different but still excellent, cutting total time to about 90 minutes.

How Do I Store and Reheat Leftovers?

Store pork belly in an airtight container with the sauce for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. The fat will solidify on top—scrape it off before reheating if you prefer less richness, or keep it for extra flavor.

To reheat, warm gently in a covered pan with a splash of water over low heat for 10-15 minutes. The pork actually tastes better the next day as the flavors deepen overnight.

What Makes This Recipe Authentic?

This recipe follows the traditional Japanese method of double-cooking: first boiling to clean the meat, then slow braising in seasoned dashi. The ratio of soy sauce, mirin, and sake creates the classic teriyaki-style glaze that defines authentic Buta no Kakuni. Using dashi instead of plain water adds the umami depth that’s characteristic of Japanese home cooking.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Skipping the initial boil: This step is not optional. Without it, the dish will be greasy and have off-flavors from impurities in the pork.

Cooking at too high heat: The braising liquid should barely simmer. Aggressive boiling toughens the meat and causes the liquid to evaporate too quickly.

Not using a drop lid: Without a drop lid or parchment paper cover, the tops of the pork pieces dry out while the bottoms overcook.

Under-braising: If the pork isn’t fork-tender after 1.5 hours, keep cooking. Underdone pork belly is unpleasantly chewy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to cook Buta no Kakuni?
Total cooking time is approximately 3 hours: 1 hour for the initial boil, 1.5-2 hours for braising, plus 15 minutes prep and finishing.

Can I freeze Buta no Kakuni?
Yes, it freezes well for up to 3 months. Store in freezer-safe containers with the sauce. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop.

What can I serve with Buta no Kakuni?
Serve over steamed white rice with blanched greens like bok choy, along with pickled vegetables (tsukemono) and miso soup for a complete Japanese meal.

Is Buta no Kakuni the same as Kakuni?
Yes, “Kakuni” is the shortened name. “Buta” means pork in Japanese, so Buta no Kakuni specifies pork belly, though Kakuni alone is widely understood to mean the same dish.

Why is my pork belly tough?
The pork needs more cooking time. Continue simmering until a chopstick slides through easily. Tough pork belly means the collagen hasn’t fully broken down yet.

Do I need to use sake and mirin?
For authentic flavor, yes. Sake adds depth and helps tenderize the meat, while mirin provides subtle sweetness and gloss. Substitutions will change the authentic taste, though dry white wine + sugar can approximate in a pinch.

Nutrition Information (Per Serving)

• Calories: 520
• Protein: 18g
• Fat: 42g
• Carbohydrates: 14g
• Sodium: 980mg

Note: Pork belly is naturally high in fat. You can reduce fat content by removing the solidified fat layer after refrigerating overnight.

Recipe Tips from Experience

After making this dish dozens of times, here’s what I’ve learned: Don’t rush it. The difference between 1.5 hours and 2 hours of braising is significant. When the pork is truly ready, it will wobble slightly when you shake the pot—that’s the gelatin at work.

I always make extra sauce for drizzling over rice. The sauce is what guests rave about, so reduce it until it coats the back of a spoon thickly. And save some braising liquid before reducing it all—you can use it as a base for ramen broth the next day.

Cultural Context

Buta no Kakuni appears in Japanese home cooking and izakayas across Japan. It’s similar to Okinawan Rafute but uses dashi-based braising rather than awamori (Okinawan spirit). Chinese Dongpo Pork inspired the dish, which traveled to Nagasaki through trade routes and evolved into the Japanese version we know today.

Did you make this recipe? The pork should be so tender it falls apart with chopsticks. If you can slice it cleanly, it needs more time. Share your experience and any adaptations you made—this recipe has room for personalization while maintaining its essential character

Instructions

1. Boil Pork (1 hour): Place pork in a pot with cold water, ginger, and green onions. Boil, then simmer for 60 minutes, skimming foam every 10-15 minutes.
2. Rinse: Remove pork, rinse under warm water, and pat dry. Discard boiling liquid.
3. Make Braising Liquid: Combine dashi, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar in a clean pot. Bring to a simmer.
4. Braise (1.5-2 hours): Add pork to braising liquid. Place a drop lid or parchment paper on surface. Simmer on low heat for 1.5-2 hours, turning every 30 minutes, until fork-tender. (Add eggs in last 30 minutes if using.)
5. Reduce Sauce: Remove pork and eggs. Increase heat and reduce liquid for 5-10 minutes until thick and glossy. Add honey if desired.
6. Serve: Return pork to pot and coat with sauce. Serve with rice, greens, and mustard.

Notes

• The pork is done when a chopstick slides through with no resistance
• Tastes better the next day as flavors deepen
• Can be made in pressure cooker: 45 minutes on high pressure after initial boil
• Freezes well for up to 3 months

Nutrition (per serving): 520 calories | 18g protein | 42g fat | 14g carbs | 980mg sodium

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