Cut
pork belly
into 2.5-inch pieces and fry until golden. Add
ginger
,
garlic cloves
, and
niboshi
and fry until fragrant. Add
sake
and boil until you no longer smell alcohol. Add
water
,
sugar
,
soy sauce
,
mirin
,
star anise
,
black cardamom pod
,
salt
, and return the pork to the pot. Bring to a simmer and then turn down the heat and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook with parchment paper covering in 120C oven for
3 hours
. Strain the braising liquid and if you are going to serve it right away, skim off the extra fat. It's best if you let this sit in the fridge overnight though as this gives the meat a chance to absorb more flavor, and it will make removing the excess fat a lot easier.