Buta Bara Daikon
A deeply comforting home-style dish of fatty pork belly and daikon radish slow-braised in a sweet soy broth.
Notes
Braised Pork Belly and Radish
This rustic dish is the epitome of Japanese home cooking. Fatty chunks of pork belly and thick semi-circles of daikon radish are slow-cooked together in a sweet soy broth. The pork fat melts into the broth, which the daikon then absorbs like a sponge.Ingredients
- 1/2 lb pork belly block (cut into 1-inch thick slices)
- 1/2 medium daikon radish (peeled, cut into 1-inch thick half-moons)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups water (or dashi)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sake
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 inch fresh ginger (sliced)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Sear the pork belly slices on both sides until browned and the fat begins to render. Remove excess oil from the pot with a paper towel.
- Add the daikon half-moons and the sliced ginger to the pot. Stir briefly to coat them in the remaining pork fat.
- Pour in the water, soy sauce, sake, and sugar. Bring the liquid to a rapid boil and skim off any scum from the surface.
- Lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Place a drop lid (otoshibuta) over the ingredients and cover the pot.
- Simmer for 45-60 minutes until the daikon is incredibly tender, stained brown, and the pork breaks apart easily with chopsticks. Serve hot.
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