Why is frozen pork belly so expensive?

You can think of frozen pork belly from the past as being cheap because it was imported.

Even now, if you look, imported frozen pork belly restaurants are cheap.

The same goes for butcher shops.

Of course, this was imported frozen from the beginning.

(Nowadays, there are many meats imported that are vacuum-packed and refrigerated.)

In the past, the quality of raw meat was not good because slaughter and production facilities were of lower quality than they are now.

Especially when using regular freezing, it freezes slowly,

It causes freezing damage which destroys the texture of the meat etc.

(Because water turns into ice and its volume increases.)

The phenomenon of white liquid coming out when grilling pork belly = drip phenomenon

And meat that has been frozen for a long time

When baking, a white dripping phenomenon occurs.

This is what the meat had as it froze and thawed.

You can understand it as the blood and meat juice being drained.

This is the frozen pork belly we commonly encountered before.

These days, expensive frozen pork belly restaurants

We sell high-quality raw meat that is quickly frozen.

'Quick freezing' is a quick freezing process that is faster than regular freezing.

This will prevent loss of juice,

Rather, it is a way to maintain freshness.

That's why we need to invest a lot in rapid cooling systems.

(Even if you rapidly freeze it, it is best to consume it within 2-3 days)

But still, freezing is freezing

If regular raw pork belly is cut into thick slices for juiciness and texture,

Slice the frozen pork belly into thin slices of 2 to 3 mm.

We pay more attention to the harmony between the rich flavor of raw meat and side dishes.

(Because it is frozen, it is easy to slice thinly using a meat slicer)

And in fact, there are some things that are more exciting than anything else because they stimulate a retro sensibility.

Conclusion: In my opinion, the cost of a high-end(?) frozen pork belly specialty store is too high.

Regardless of the flavor, I'd rather just eat cheap, real frozen pork belly!