Buta no Kakuni

Ingredients

• 1kg pork belly in one piece, skin off, rind removed
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 40g fresh ginger
• 2 leek tops or 3 spring onions
• 2 tbsp raw white rice
• 1.5 litres water, for the first simmer
• 200ml sake
• 400ml water, for the braise
• 80ml soy sauce
• 80ml mirin
• 60g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 200g baby spinach or blanched greens
• 2 tsp Japanese hot mustard (karashi)

Before you cook

• Cut the pork belly into cubes about 5cm square, keeping the layers of fat and meat running through each one.
• Slice half the ginger into coins and grate the rest for the final sauce.
• Cut the leek tops into rough lengths.
• Boil the eggs for 7 minutes from cold water at a bare simmer, then cool them in iced water and peel them.

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over high heat until it shimmers.
2. Brown the pork cubes on every side, working in two batches so the pan stays hot, about 8 minutes a batch.
3. Transfer the browned pork to a large saucepan and add the ginger coins, leek tops, raw rice and the 1.5 litres of water.
4. Bring the pan to a boil and skim off the thick grey scum that rises in the first few minutes.
5. Turn the heat to its lowest setting so the surface barely shivers, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
6. Top the pan up with hot water whenever the pork is no longer submerged.
7. Test a cube with a skewer after 2 hours, looking for it to slide in with no resistance at all.
8. Lift the pork out carefully with a slotted spoon and rinse each cube under warm water to wash off the starchy rice residue.
9. Discard the cooking liquid, which has done its job of carrying away the excess fat.
10. Wipe out the pan and return the pork to it with the sake, the 400ml of water, the mirin and the sugar.
11. Bring it to a simmer, lay a paper drop lid directly on the surface and cook gently for 30 minutes.
12. Pour in the soy sauce, replace the drop lid and simmer for another 40 minutes, turning the cubes once halfway through.
13. Add the peeled boiled eggs for the last 15 minutes so they take on colour without turning rubbery.
14. Lift the pork and eggs out onto a plate and raise the heat under the pan.
15. Boil the liquid hard for 5 minutes until it reduces to a syrupy glaze that just coats the back of a spoon.
16. Stir the grated ginger into the glaze and return the pork to the pan, turning each cube until it shines.
17. Wilt the spinach in a separate pan of boiling water for 30 seconds, drain it and squeeze it dry.
18. Serve two cubes of pork per person with half an egg, a mound of greens and a dab of karashi mustard, and pour the remaining glaze over the top.