How to choose pork belly?

Look for a cut with a balance of fat and meat—around 40% fat and 60% meat. Too lean, and it won’t have that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture; too fatty, and it can be overwhelming.

Can I use a different protein?

Yes, you can substitute pork belly with skin-on chicken thighs. You can do one cycle for chicken thighs.

Can I cook it in one cycle?

You can skip searing the pork belly and cook it in one cycle, but doing the first cook with just water and sake helps keep the lean meat tender. Cooking it with soy sauce from the start may result in a slightly tougher texture, but it will still be flavorful.

Easy Rice Cooker Kakuni (Braised Pork Belly) 炊飯器角煮

Name: Rice Cooker Kakuni
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 2 h 10 min
Total time: 2 h 12 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1.2 lbs (500-550 g) pork belly block; green part of negi (Japanese green onion); 2-3 slices of ginger; 1 cup water; 1/4 cup sake; 1/4 cup mirin; 1/4 cup sugar; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 3-4 soft or hard boiled eggs, optional; 3-4 servings cooked rice, about 200-250 grams each

Description

This Rice Cooker Kakuni is a hands-off way to make tender, melt-in-your-mouth Japanese braised pork belly. Slowly simmered in a savory-sweet soy sauce broth, it develops deep umami flavor with minimal effort. Perfect with rice, ramen, or steamed buns, this easy kakuni recipe delivers rich, satisfying flavors.

Ingredients

Units

1.2 lbs (500-550 g) pork belly block
green part of negi (Japanese green onion)
2-3 slices of ginger
1 cup water
1/4 cup sake
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3-4 soft or hard boiled eggs, optional
3-4 servings cooked rice, about 200-250 grams each

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Instructions

Slice the pork belly into 3-4 thick cm pieces. You can keep them whole or cut them into cubes.
Over medium heat, lightly fry each side of the pork belly until golden brown.
Place the pork belly into the rice cooker pot and add water, sake, ginger and green onion and turn rice cooker on. Add enough water to cover the pork belly.
Once the timer goes off, remove excess oil. Add the mirin, sugar and soy sauce. Set to white rice mode again. Open the lid and add in the eggs. Close the lid and let the eggs marinate for 15 minutes.
Optionally, pour the liquid into a sauce pan and reduce until slightly thickened. Serve over rice along with the eggs. Pour some of the sauce over the kakuni and eggs and enjoy!

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 130 minutes
Category: Main dish
Method: Rice cooker
Cuisine: Japanese

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 455
Sugar: 16 g
Sodium: 900 mg
Fat: 33 g
Saturated Fat: 12 g
Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Fiber: 0
Protein: 19 g
Cholesterol: 70 mg