Yakibuta Recipe

7In Appetizer/ Video

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Yakibuta is roast pork similar to Cha Siu of China. While Cha Siu uses a variety of spices such as star anise and cinnamon and also honey to flavor the meat, Japanese Yakibuta has a much simpler taste. Yakibuta is usually sliced thinly and served as a dish for an appetizer or a part of meals, and it is also a very popular topping for Ramen.

In Japan, cooked Yakibuta can be easily found at meat shops and supermarkets. However, it is harder to find it at stores or restaurants other than Ramen shops in the US. Sliced Yakibuta is a staple topping for Japanese Ramen, although a lot of Ramen shops in Japan don’t have ovens and therefore use boiled pork (we use a boiled Salted Pork recipe in our Ramen recipe). Yakibuta is also a very good little appetizer for drinks. The sweet soy sauce flavor goes well with steamed rice too. Speaking of the flavor, it is seasoned very sweet and some may think it has too much sugar in it. And it does! However, the sugar helps tenderize the meat and gives great flavor to the dish too. Most of the sugar stays in the marinade sauce, and as long as you don’t drink it (yak!), you won’t consume too much sugar from this dish.

We omit the process here in the video, but you could use the marinade sauce for your dipping sauce. You have to heat it first since there was raw meat in it. Let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes and reduce the amount of sauce to about half. Then strain to remove fat and ginger and garlic. It will get thicker as it cools. You may not need much since the meat already has a good taste, but it is a nice sweet dipping sauce on the side.

You could use any cut of pork of your preference. If you use “pork roast,” it may taste a little dry because there is not much fat. But you can enjoy a more dense and meaty feel, and also it is healthier. Pork belly can be used too, and it is juicy and very flavorful, but may be a little too fatty for some people. We used “shoulder butt,” and it was something in between. A combination of some fat and dense meat is suited well for Yakibuta.

It is very easy to make, and you can make it ahead. Try this tasty dish at home!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Japanese roast pork

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: pork, yakibuta

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Ingredients

2 lb pork shoulder butt
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Sake
1/2 cup sugar
4-5 thick slices ginger root
1 clove garlic

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Tie the meat at 1″ intervals with cotton twine (string).
Put all the ingredients along with the pork in a plastic bag, close and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours, or preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350F (175C), and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, turning and basting a couple of times.
Take the meat out from the oven and let it stand for 30 minutes; remove the strings, and slice.

Video

Pork

November 12, 2014 By JapaneseCooking101

About JapaneseCooking101

Noriko and Yuko, the authors of this site, are both from Japan but now live in California. They love cooking and eating great food, and share a similar passion for home cooking using fresh ingredients.Noriko and Yuko plan and develop recipes together for Japanese Cooking 101. They cook and shoot photos/videos at their home kitchen(s.)

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Morgan

February 8, 2016 at 1:18 pm

Can I use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil?

Will
February 25, 2016 at 8:05 pm
Yes, it wouldn’t make a difference really.

Stefan

March 6, 2016 at 4:38 am

I don’t own an oven, is it possible to make this on the pan?

Yume
March 9, 2016 at 6:54 am
I’m pretty certain you would need an oven for this/variant. If you have a slow cooker (not quite as big as an oven..!) you ought to try a chashu pork recipe.

Filo

March 16, 2016 at 3:43 am

At first, I would like to say that your recipe are wonderful! Every time that I try something with your recipe, it come out amazing!

For this recipe of Yakibuta, could the meat become dry cooking in the oven???

I remember the amazing taste of the japanese ramen meat and it was very very soft and really tasty !!!!
Thanks in advance!

Jan Marek

March 16, 2016 at 9:59 am

hi, is there any replacement for sake? like using other alcoholic beverage?

Noriko
March 22, 2016 at 4:42 pm
Jan,
You can just omit it.

Yakibuta Recipe – Japanese Cooking 101 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between yakibuta and chashu? ›

In Japanese, we sometimes call Chashu “Nibuta” (煮豚), literally means simmered/braised pork, as opposed to “Yakibuta” (焼豚), which means barbecued pork. The Japanese enjoy Chashu as a topping for Ramen and other noodles, as well as Chashu over steamed rice called Chashu Don, like a rice bowl.

Show Me More ›

How do Japanese cook fish? ›

Salt-grilling, or "shioyaki" in Japanese, is the most common technique for cooking fish in Japan. Fish is marinated in salt and then grilled over a fire. Inspired by foreign cooking techniques, some restaurants have adopted a new method where a whole fish is completed caked in coarse salt and grilled.

Discover More ›

What does chashu mean in Japanese? ›

In Japanese, chashu means. simmered or braised pork. We have tucked the braised.

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Is chashu just bacon? ›

Chashu is a traditional ramen topping that's very common in the standard Japanese bowl of ramen. It's made with pork belly that's rolled and braised in a flavorful mix of mirin, sake, sugar, and soy sauce. Once it's cooked, it's allowed to cool and then sliced finely before serving.

Get More Info ›

How do Japanese eat fish everyday? ›

Seafood served raw as sashimi, simmered in a pot, grilled over charcoal, or deep-fried as tempura—Japanese cooks have many ways to prepare fish and shellfish. Seafood is served in most homes almost every day. Japanese people like fish a lot, just as their ancestors did centuries ago.

Know More ›

Do Japanese eat fish with bones? ›

If you have an entire fish, start eating from the head end and eat along the body until the tail. You can remove the head. Then use your hand and chopsticks to remove the body bones. Then eat the other side.

View Details ›

What is the best Japanese fish to grill? ›

In Japan, salt-grilling is called shioyaki. Favorite fish to prepare in this style include aji (horse mackerel), iwashi (sardine), ayu (a sweet-tasting freshwater fish), sanma (pike), nishin (herring), saba (mackerel), hirame (sole), and tai (sea bream).

Get More Info Here ›

What's the difference between char siu and chashu? ›

Chashu and Char Siu have different ingredients, methods, and characteristics, and belong to different cuisines. Some of the main differences between Chashu and Char Siu are: Chashu is a Japanese dish, while Char Siu is a Chinese dish. Chashu is made from pork belly, while Char Siu is made from pork shoulder or loin.

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Is chashu same as pork belly? ›

Chashu pork is a popular ramen topping throughout Japan. It's made by slowly braising pork belly to make it melt-in-your-mouth tender.

What is chashu vs pork belly? ›

Chashu can be made from different cuts of pork but is traditionally tied up so that it can be sliced round. Kakuni is also pork but literally means “square simmered”. It is always made from pork belly and no other part of the pig – for this reason, it's my choice of cut over the Chashu.

Yakibuta Recipe – Japanese Cooking 101 (2024)