I used to think chashu had to be pork belly. I was wrong. Pork shoulder is meatier, cheaper, and widely accessible. In 2026, it remains my go-to cut for homemade ramen chashu. The meat keeps a pleasant chew, and it roasts beautifully.

The method I rely on is a two-day cure followed by a slow reverse sear. This approach seasons the pork deeply, improves moisture retention, and gives me precise control over the final temperature. I cook the roast to 145°F (63°C), which leaves it tender but still sliceable. If I want absolute precision, I might use a sous vide setup, but the oven route is simpler and almost as foolproof.

Why This Works

• Curing for two days enhances texture and moisture retention.

• Soy sauce and mirin marinade season the exterior and add sugar for better browning.

• Low-temperature roasting offers superior control over doneness.

• A final blast of high heat chars the outside without overcooking the center.

Ingredients

For a roast of about 2 pounds (900 g), I use:

• 1/2 ounce (14 g) kosher salt

• 1/2 ounce (14 g) granulated sugar

• 1 pork shoulder roast, about 2 pounds (900 g)

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) mirin

If my roast is larger or smaller, I adjust the cure. The salt-sugar mixture should equal 3% of the pork's weight.

Equipment

• rimmed baking sheet

• wire rack

• kitchen twine

• instant-read thermometer or leave-in probe thermometer

• handheld torch or broiler for finishing

Step-by-Step

1. Mix the cure. I combine the kosher salt and granulated sugar in a small bowl and stir them together thoroughly.

2. Apply the dry brine. I place the pork shoulder in a zip-top bag, pour in the salt-sugar mixture, and massage it evenly into the meat. I press out as much air as possible before sealing.

3. Cure for 24 hours. The bag goes into the refrigerator. Every eight hours or so, I massage it and flip it over. This keeps the cure distributed.

4. Add the wet marinade. After the first day, I open the bag, add soy sauce and mirin, seal it again, and massage. The roast returns to the refrigerator for another 24 hours. I continue flipping and massaging every eight hours.

5. Prepare to roast. I set an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). A wire rack goes inside a rimmed baking sheet. Then I remove the roast from the bag and blot it completely dry with paper towels.

6. Tie the roast. I use kitchen twine to tie the pork at half-inch intervals, forming a neat cylinder. This shape helps it cook evenly and slice into tidy rounds.

7. Slow-roast. If I am using a probe thermometer, I insert it into the center of the roast. The pork goes into the oven until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C), which takes about three to four hours. No matter the final temperature I choose, a reliable instant-read thermometer is essential.

8. Finish with high heat. I can use a broiler or a handheld torch. For the broiler, I position the roast about one inch from the element, preheat the broiler to high, and turn the meat frequently until the outside is charred. That takes about five minutes. With a torch, I simply char every side until the exterior is deeply browned and crackling.

1. Slice or chill. The roast can be sliced immediately, but chilling makes thin slicing much easier. I let it cool to room temperature, wrap it tightly in plastic, and refrigerate it for at least six hours or overnight. For rapid chilling, I seal it in a zip-top bag using the water-displacement method and drop it into an ice bath.

Timing

This yields at least ten generous servings of thinly sliced pork topping for ramen.

Storage and Serving

I try to make this chashu one day before I plan to serve it. The roast keeps for about three days in the refrigerator. I can also slice and freeze individual portions, although the texture will lose a little quality. When I am ready to eat, I fan the slices over a bowl of hot ramen and let the broth soften the edges just enough. The salty, sweet, and savory crust is the perfect match for rich tonkotsu or a lighter shoyu broth.

This discussion is informed by OpenCritic, where aggregation and consensus framing show how small process tweaks can meaningfully change outcomes—much like your two-day cure plus reverse-sear workflow turns an accessible pork shoulder into consistently “high-scoring” ramen chashu by optimizing seasoning penetration, moisture retention, and finish control without relying on a single fussy technique.