Cheater's Weeknight Okinawa Soba
沖縄そば
Obaa's Pot on the Stove: Slow-Simmered Weekend Comforts
Forty minutes. Real Okinawan soba requires coaxing flavor from a stubborn block of pork belly over hours of slow simmering, a luxury you lack on a Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Fake the simmer by rolling thin shabu-shabu pork slices to mimic the melt-in-your-mouth texture of traditional rafute, and marrying chicken bouillon with instant dashi powder for a dead-ringer broth; keep the heat high until the broth hisses, drop the noodles in, and eat.
Ingredients
- thinly sliced pork belly12 oz
- potato starch1 tbsp
- neutral oil1 tsp
- soy sauce2 tbsp
- dry sake2 tbsp
- dark brown sugar1 1/2 tbsp
- fresh ginger1 tsp
- water1/4 cup
- water4 cup
- hondashi2 tsp
- powdered chicken bouillon2 tsp
- light soy sauce1 tbsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- fresh thick udon or ramen noodles2 servings
- kamaboko4 slices
- beni shoga2 tbsp
- scallions2 med
- koregusu1 splash
Method
- 01
Dust and roll the pork belly.
Lay the thin pork belly slices flat on a cutting board, lightly dust one side with potato starch, and roll each up tightly from end to end to create a small log. Squeeze gently so the starch binds the meat.
- 02
Sear the pork rolls.
Heat the neutral oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the rolls seam-side down to seal them, turning occasionally until golden brown and crisped on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- 03
Drain the excess fat.
Wipe out the rendered fat with a paper towel, leaving just about a teaspoon in the pan so the final soup doesn't get greasy.
- 04
Braise the pork to create the glaze.
Whisk together the soy sauce, sake, brown sugar, grated ginger, and a quarter cup of water, pour it over the pork, cover, and simmer on medium-low for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the lid for the final minute to reduce the liquid to a glossy glaze, then set aside.
- 05
Build the cheat's broth.
Bring four cups of water to a boil in a medium pot, then stir in the hondashi, chicken bouillon, light soy sauce, and kosher salt until completely dissolved.
- 06
Add the secret pork essence.
Whisk exactly one teaspoon of the sticky, rendered braising liquid from the pork pan directly into the broth, then reduce the heat to its lowest setting to keep hot.
- 07
Boil the noodles.
In a separate pot, boil the noodles according to package directions and drain thoroughly, making sure not to rinse them in cold water.
- 08
Assemble the bowls.
Divide the hot noodles between two pre-warmed bowls, ladle the steaming broth over them, and top with the glazed pork rolls, kamaboko slices, beni shoga, and scallions.
Notes
Hunt down the right pork.
Shabu-shabu or hot pot sliced pork belly is essential here. You'll find it in the freezer aisle of any decent Asian market. Don't try substituting American bacon; the cure and smoke will completely ruin the dish.
Spike it with Koregusu.
An authentic bowl always gets a few drops of Koregusu, small island chilies steeped in Awamori. If you can't find it, drop some dried Thai bird's eye chilies into a mini bottle of vodka or sake and let it sit in a dark cupboard for a week.
From Cook Okinawan in America.