Chashu is that melt in your mouth, delicious pork belly you find topping your ramen. This recipe smokes the meat before you braise it to add another layer of flavor to your meat.
Combine soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add scallions, garlic, ginger and shallot and stir again. Place pork belly in an oven safe casserole dish or baking pan. Add the marinade to the pan and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to overnight.
Using apple wood, heat a Traeger Pellet Smoker to 225°F. Remove pork belly from marinade and place it directly on the grill with the fat side up. Leave the marinade in the pan; you will be using it later. Smoke the pork belly for 3 hours.
Using tongs, remove the pork belly from the smoker and put it back in the pan with the marinade. Turn your smoker to 275°F and cover with a drop lid (more information in the blog post). Cook for 2 more hours.
Using tongs, remove the pork belly and let it come to room temperature. Cut into ½ inch slices. Finish by searing the meat in a skillet making sure you get a good char. Serve hot in ramen or as an appetizer on toothpicks with hoisin sauce on the side.