Pork Cha-Shu

Ingredients

  • 2–3 black teabags (Ceylon or English Breakfast are nice)
  • 500g pork shoulder or fillet
  • 50g mixed salad leaves
  • 1 tbsp spring onion, finely sliced to garnish
  • Rice, to serve

CHA-SHU MARINADE

  • 100ml soy sauce
  • 100ml mirin
  • 3 tbsp sake
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar

Method

In a large stockpot, bring 1 litre of water to the boil. Add the teabags and let them steep to make a very strong black tea.

Remove the teabags, transfer the pork to the stockpot and bring it to the boil. Turn the heat down to low and use a piece of baking paper to make an otoshi-buta (drop-lid). Cook the pork for about 40 minutes, until it is firm to the touch and its juices run clear when you pierce the meat with a knife.

While the pork is cooking, make the marinade. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil for 2 minutes. Cool the sauce and pour it into a rimmed tray or bowl.

Once the pork is cooked, remove it from the pot and coat it in the marinade. Let the pork cool.

To serve, arrange some salad leaves on each plate and dress with the leftover marinade. Thinly slice the pork and place it on the plate, and garnish with spring onion. Serve accompanied with rice. Leftover pork keeps in a tightly sealed container for up to 1 week.

Pair with 2018 Estate Red.

This is an edited extract from Cibi by Meg & Zenta Tanaka, sourced from cooked.com.au