Kuubuirichi – Braised kelp and pork

In Japanese and Okinawan cooking, kelp is a very important ingredient. This is because we use it to make dashi (broth) and also in many different dishes. In the far north of Japan, Hokkaido prefecture produces quality kelp and exports it as far as China. The ships used to stop by Okinawa, so Okinawa has many dishes that use kelp. My mother used to say if I ate a lot of kelp, I would have beautiful hair. She might have said it to make me eat kelp but actually kelp is really good for your hair; it’s rich in minerals, calcium and iron. And it’s low in calories! This particular dish is a popular kelp dish on Okinawa.

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Ingredients

To serve 2

  • ½ oz dried kelp (soaked in water for 20 minutes, drained and cut into thin strips)
  • 2 oz sliced pork belly cut into half-inch pieces
  • 1/3 carrot cut into thin sticks
  • ½ tbs sesame or vegetable oil
  • 1 tbs awamori or cooking sake
  • 1 tbs soy sauce
  • 1 tbs mirin, sweet sake
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp dashi powder
  • 1 cup water

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the pork. Once the pork changes color, add the awamori.

2. Add kelp and carrot and mix well.

3. Add water and dashi powder, then add soy sauce, mirin and sugar and mix all the ingredients gently.

4. Cook for 20 minutes to cook through and reduce the broth.

Coming up!

January 19th Tuesday Okinawa soba and jushii rice class ¥5,500 per person

Website: okinawa-cooking.com

Facebook: facebook.com/cooking.school.with.nao Tel: 098-955-5311 Address: 1414-61 Sobe, Yomitan Village, Okinawa 904-0304. Closed on Sundays.

 

02:20 29 Mar , 2024