Kakuni Manju

Place 1000g pork belly in a large pot, cover with cold water. Add 30g sliced ginger and 20g chopped scallion. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to remove impurities. Skim off any scum.

Remove pork belly from the pot, discard the water, ginger, and scallion. Rinse the pork belly under cold water, gently scraping off any remaining impurities. Cut the pork belly into 3-4 cm thick slices.

In a clean pot, combine 200g sake, 100g mirin, 150g koikuchi soy sauce, 50g sugar, 500g water, 20g sliced ginger, and 10g chopped scallion. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.