Judgment: Braised Pork Burger

The Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the team behind all of the Yakuza games, is one of my favorite game developers. When Judgment was announced, I was extremely excited to explore the world as a non-yakuza character. There are plenty of yakuza involved in the story, but Yagami, an ex-lawyer turned private detective, is our main character. His office is located in the heart of Kamurocho and he does all he can to find the truth to any case he picks up. Currently, Jeff and I are just at the beginning of the game but it has been a refreshing new way to explore the world. After all of Kiryu’s barge in with fists flying, I’ve really enjoyed the focus on taking things a bit slower to figure out what caused the current problem. Now the end result has typically been a brawl but it takes a little bit to escalate.

Judgment is played in a world filled with delicious restaurants on every block. Many of the staples from Yakuza games are still there. One of the first upgrades we picked up in the game was the bottomless stomach skill that lets us eat even when we are already full. Obviously, I need to eat everything in the game. I was happy to see the classic Smile Burger was still in the game. I’ve always eyed the Braised Pork Burger on the menu and have finally decided to take a stab at the recipe. I ended up with an extremely intense pork belly burger topped with delicious soft-boiled eggs. While working on this, I found myself just munching away at all of the individual elements. You could enjoy the pork belly and egg with a bowl of rice and it would still be wonderful! 

Ajitsuke Tamago Ingredients
6 eggs
¾ cup soy sauce
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup sake
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp miso

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently place the eggs in the pot, cover, and cook for six and a half minutes. Once cooked, immediately take the pot off the stove and place under cold running water. Move the contents to a bowl with ice cubes and water, let rest for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the shells from the eggs.

Mix the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake, honey, and miso in a sealable bag. Add the eggs. Seal and make sure the eggs are fully covered. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 24 hours. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. To serve on the burger, make sure to cut into slices.

Pork Belly Ingredients
1 ½ lbs pork belly, cut into ¾-inch slices
1 tbsp canola oil
¼ cup water
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp brown sugar
¾ cup sake
1 cup soy sauce
1 ½ cup chicken broth
2-inch piece of ginger, sliced
2 lemongrass stalks
4 garlic cloves
4 scallions
1 tbsp black peppercorns
2 tsp sichuan peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

6 black garlic
⅓ cup butter, room temperature
½ tsp shichimi togarashi
3 burger buns
japanese mayo
butter lettuce

Preheat an oven to 325°F. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the pork and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the pork belly from the water. In a dutch oven, mix the sugar and water over medium-high heat. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pork belly and coat each side.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a slight boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Increase the heat of the oven to 375°F and remove the cover. Bake for another 45. Stir the contents every 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven and place on the stove over medium-low heat. Remove the pork and place on a plate. Carefully remove all the other ingredients and toss. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Add to the sauce and mix until thickened. Toss the pork pieces in the sauce.

Preheat oven broiler. Slice the buns in half and place on a baking sheet. Combine the black garlic, butter, and shichimi togarashi. Spread the inside of each of the buns with the combined butter. Place under the broiler and toast until the buns have crisped up.

To assemble, add a portion of mayo to the bottom bun and then top with lettuce. Add a third of the pork belly. Top with a third of the sliced eggs and then the top of the bun.

Print Recipe

Braised Pork Belly Burger

Course: Main Course

Servings: 3 Burgers

Ingredients

Ajitsuke Tamago

• 6 eggs
• ¾ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup mirin
• ¼ cup sake
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp miso

Pork Belly

• 1 ½ lbs pork belly cut into ¾-inch slices
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• ¾ cup sake
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 ½ cup chicken broth
• 2- inch piece of ginger sliced
• 2 lemongrass stalks
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 scallions
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 tsp sichuan peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water

Additionals

• 6 black garlic
• ⅓ cup butter room temperature
• ½ tsp shichimi togarashi
• 3 burger buns
• japanese mayo
• butter lettuce

Instructions

Ajitsuke Tamago

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently place the eggs in the pot, cover, and cook for six and a half minutes. Once cooked, immediately take the pot off the stove and place under cold running water. Move the contents to a bowl with ice cubes and water, let rest for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the shells from the eggs.
• Mix the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake, honey, and miso in a sealable bag. Add the eggs. Seal and make sure the eggs are fully covered. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 24 hours. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. To serve on the burger, make sure to cut into slices.

Pork Belly

• Preheat an oven to 325°Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the pork and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Remove the pork belly from the water. In a dutch oven, mix the sugar and water over medium-high heat. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pork belly and coat each side.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a slight boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Increase the heat of the oven to 375°F and remove the cover. Bake for another 4Stir the contents every 15 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the oven and place on the stove over medium-low heat. Remove the pork and place on a plate. Carefully remove all the other ingredients and toss. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Add to the sauce and mix until thickened. Toss the pork pieces in the sauce.
• Preheat oven broiler. Slice the buns in half and place on a baking sheet. Combine the black garlic, butter, and shichimi togarashi. Spread the inside of each of the buns with the combined butter. Place under the broiler and toast until the buns have crisped up.
• To assemble, add a portion of mayo to the bottom bun and then top with lettuce. Add a third of the pork belly. Top with a third of the sliced eggs and then the top of the bun.