Melt in your mouth Japanese Rolled Chashu for Ramen Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

If you often go to ramen shops, you will sometimes find ramen topped with one to two pieces of rounded shaped chashu. Why is it shaped like that and how to make it melt in your mouth? This is Jessie. Let's get started. First, I'm going to roll up the pork belly with the skin side out. Why do we roll up the pork belly? If you cook pork belly before, the lean part could be really dry if it's not cooked properly. The end goal of simmering pork belly using lower heat is to get a melt in your mouth texture. The higher cooking temperature it cooks, the drier meat it becomes. Also, if you cook the slab pork belly, it has more exposed surface than the rolled pork. This means it will lose more moisture easily than the rolled one. When making chashu in an electric pressure cooker, my Instant Pot's peak working temperature is between 239 and 244 degree Fahrenheit. So if you just cook the slab pork belly in the pressure cooker, it could squeeze out much more moisture than regular slow cooking method. So the rolled pork belly is a perfect shape for pressure cooking. It is also insulated with the skin outside that will not only keep the lean part moist inside, but also cook evenly and gently. Alright, we are going to cook the pork. In a pot of boiling water, blanch the pork belly for about 10 minutes. This is a very common technique in Asian cooking to get rid of excess fat and impurities to get a cleaner taste of the soy base sauce. In the pressure cooker, add soy sauce, water, sake, mirin, leek, ginger, and garlic. Transfer the pork to the pressure cooker. Cover with the lid and cook for 90 minutes on high pressure. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, pan fry the pork until all sides are well browned. Or you can use a pressure cooker by selecting the saute function and press adjust button to switch to more for browning. Once the pork is cooled down, transfer the meat and sauce to a large sealed container or a zip top bag. Put it in the refrigerator overnight or until it's completely cool. This way, the pork is easier to slice thinly after cooling, but also gives the pork more flavors. When it's ready to serve, skim off the fatty oil on the surface. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and strain the sauce. You can reserve the sauce for marinated soft-boiled eggs or another use. Then cut the meat thinly using a very sharp knife. Reheat the slices in soup broth or just heat it in a microwave with the sauce until hot. Now you can enjoy this super tender and juicy chashu with your homemade ramen. Already, I hope you enjoy this recipe. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on Facebook. Until we eat again!