I bought some pork belly to make pork (char siu or chachu) for

*Chashu

Redpill me on pork belly. Is this not just think pieces of bacon?

>>8766066
thick

>>8766066
Ask nicely

>>8765846
OP, I hate to say it but the 5 spice is certainly mandatory; it's not going to taste right without it. You certainly don't need expensive sake; plain ol shaoxing wine is cheap and exactly what is traditionally used.

>>8766066
Pork belly is the cut that streaky bacon is made from. It's very different from bacon though because bacon has been cured, whereas pork belly is not.

>>8765846
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/03/chashu-pork-marinated-braised-pork-belly-for-tonkotsu-ramen-recipe.html

i've used this recipe and it's come out nicely but you need sake...

you can probably replace with another similar taste, or add less than a cup of rice vinegar in at the end after cooking but sake is fairly unique in its flavor profile...i've seen sake go at cheap as 12 dollars and plus you can drink the rest of it so it's not wasted.

This marinade is also good for the soft marinated eggs for ramen.

good sake may be expensive but okay sake is dirt fucking cheap

and five spice powder can be found cheap at any supermarket ever

>>8765846
>>8766088

is mirin the same as sake?

>>8766088
>>8766091
Thank-you!

>>8766128
mirin is a cooking wine, too sweet for drinking
sake is a wine for drinking

>>8766128
mirin is rice vinegar