Pressure Cooker Pork Belly Kakuni Food

PRESSURE COOKER PORK BELLY (KAKUNI)

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients. My pork belly was from a Korean market and it was pre-sliced into ¼ inches (6 mm). If you buy a block of pork belly, you can freeze the meat for 30-60 minutes and slice with a sharp knife (see this post) or cut into 2 inches x 2 inches or 5 cm x 5 cm cubes, which are typical Japanese pork belly (Kakuni) shapes.
• We will only use the green parts of the green onions (How about using the white parts in miso soup to go with this dish?). Cut the green parts in half. Peel the ginger and slice it thinly.
• Press the "Sauté" button on your Instant Pot (I use a 6 QT Instant Pot) and heat the oil. Add the pork belly in a single layer, searing both sides. You may need to work in batches. If so, transfer ones that had been seared to a plate. When you finish, put all the seared pork belly back in the pot. Tip: You can skip the searing process to cut down your entire cooking time, but it will render more fat and make the dish tastier.
• Pour water just to cover the meat, then add the green parts of the green onions and sliced ginger. Cover and lock the lid. Make sure the steam release handle points at "sealing." Press the "Keep Warm/Cancel" button on the Instant Pot to stop cooking. Press the "Manual" button to switch to the pressure cooking mode. Change the cooking time to 35 minutes.
• If you're using a stove-top pressure cooker, cook on high heat until high pressure is reached. Then reduce the heat to low to maintain high pressure for about 30 minutes.
• When it is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to a "Keep Warm" mode. Slide the steam release handle to the "Venting" position to let out steam until the float valve drops down, OR let the pressure release naturally (takes about 15 mins). Unlock the lid and drain the cooking water and discard the green onion and ginger. Rinse the pork belly under warm water.
• Put the pork belly back in the Instant Pot and add water, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Mix the seasonings a little bit and add the boiled eggs. Press the "Sauté" button on the Instant Pot and press "Adjust" once to increase the heat. Bring it to simmer to let the alcohol evaporate (no more than a minute). Then press the "Keep Warm/Cancel" button to turn off the Sauté mode. Cover and lock the lid. Make sure the steam release handle points at "sealing." Press "Manual" and set the cooking time to 10 minutes for sliced pork belly and 20 minutes for pork belly cubes.
• When it is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to a "Keep Warm" mode. Slide the steam release handle to the "Venting" position to let out steam until the float valve drops down and unlock the lid. If you have time (this is optional), press the "Sauté" button and simmer on low heat until the liquid in the cooker has reduced by half.
• Serve the rice in a (donburi) bowl and pour the sauce on top. Place the pork belly and egg (add blanched green vegetable if you have any). Pour additional sauce over the meat and serve immediately. If you like it a bit spicy, sprinkle shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice). Enjoy!

PRESSURE COOKER KOREAN SOY-GLAZED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• In a pressure cooker, combine soy sauce, scallions, sugar, garlic, ginger, mushrooms and 1 teaspoon black pepper, and mix well. Lightly season pork belly with salt and pepper, and add to cooker. Toss pork in the sauce, massaging the sauce into the meat. Arrange pork in an even layer on top of the sauce. Lock pressure cooker lid in place and set steam vent to sealing position. Select high pressure and cook for 30 minutes. Let pressure release naturally.
• Transfer pork and mushrooms to a large plate. Carefully pour liquid into a fat separator or large bowl and degrease. Return liquid to the pressure cooker. Using the sauté function, simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, thinly slice the mushrooms. Once the liquid is reduced, add the pork and mushrooms to the cooker and simmer, stirring, until warmed through and evenly coated in the sauce, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and spoon the sauce on top.
• Serve with steamed rice, lettuce cups, kimchi and gochujang. Cut pork into bite-size pieces, wrap and enjoy.

KAKUNI (BRAISED PORK BELLY)

Steps:

• Heat a frying pan over medium (you don't need to oil the pan) and sear the pork pieces on all sides until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. At the same time, bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
• Remove the pork from the frying pan and wipe off the excess fat with paper towels. Place the pork and ginger in the boiling water, cover with a Japanese drop lid (see Tip) or make your own by shaping a sheet of aluminum foil into a round slightly smaller than the diameter of your pot, cutting large holes all through the foil for ventilation and setting it over the pork. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Drain pork and rinse under running water. Discard ginger. Place pork in a bowl, cover with cold water and allow meat to cool for 5 minutes, changing the water twice.
• Lay the pork pieces in a single layer in the same pot (no need to wash), and add the sake and enough water so the liquids just cover the meat (about 4 cups). Bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming the scum as needed, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with the drop lid or foil with holes. Simmer for 1 hour, replenishing with water if needed. If you want to serve this dish with soft-boiled eggs, start preparing them now and then peel them.
• After the pork has simmered for an hour, add the sugar to the pot. Simmer for another 5 minutes, then check meat for tenderness. A skewer should slide through easily. Continue simmering if needed.
• Add the soy sauce to the pot, along with the peeled soft-boiled eggs, if using. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and allow the dish to cool.
• When ready to serve, pour 1/4 cup broth from the pot into a frying pan, and allow it to reduce for 5 minutes to create a sauce. To serve, place kakuni pork pieces and eggs, if serving, in dishes, and top with the sauce. Serve with karashi to taste, if using.