Kuubu Irichi
クーブイリチー·(koo-boo ee-ree-chee)
Obaa's Pot on the Stove: Slow-Simmered Weekend Comforts
In mainland Japan, kelp is usually boiled for broth and promptly tossed in the trash. Down in Okinawa, it’s the undisputed star of the show. Kuubu Irichi is the Ryukyu Islands' longevity secret and ultimate comfort food: a mountain of shredded kelp, stir-fried in fat, then painstakingly fed a rich broth of boiled pork and bonito in batches, like an island risotto. Make a massive pot of this on a lazy Sunday. It tastes even better eaten cold directly from the fridge on a frantic Tuesday night.
Before you start
Rehydrate the kelp.
Submerge the dried shredded kelp in a large bowl of cold water for 15 minutes. Once plumped, rinse it thoroughly in a colander and drain it completely.
Parboil the konnyaku.
Rinse the konnyaku block, boil it in plain water for 3 minutes to banish its earthy smell, and slice it into 2-inch matchsticks.
Ingredients
- skin-on pork belly block1 lb
- kizami kombu2 oz
- konnyaku8 oz
- kamaboko4 oz
- katsuo dashi1 1/2 cup
- neutral oil2 tbsp
- soy sauce3 tbsp
- brown sugar2 1/2 tbsp
- awamori2 tbsp
- mirin1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 pinch
Method
- 01
Create the foundational pork dashi.
Place the whole block of pork belly in a large pot, cover with about four cups of water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes until tender. Remove the pork to cool, skim the scum from the surface, and reserve one and a half cups of this liquid gold.
- 02
Slice the cooled pork belly.
Cut the rested meat into thin, two-inch matchsticks.
- 03
Pre-season the proteins.
Whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, awamori, and mirin. In a heavy pot over medium-high heat, add half the oil and fry the pork and konnyaku until the fat renders. Glaze with half the soy mixture for two minutes, then remove to a bowl. If you skip this, the highly absorbent kelp will steal all the salt.
- 04
Stir-fry the kelp.
Add the remaining oil to the pot. Toss in the drained kelp and fry vigorously for three to four minutes, making sure it gets thoroughly coated in the residual pork fat and pan drippings.
- 05
Execute the batch-braise.
Combine your reserved pork dashi and katsuo dashi. Pour one-third of this broth and the remaining soy glaze into the pot. Simmer gently until the liquid is almost completely absorbed. Repeat with the remaining broth in two more batches. This keeps the pan hot and forces umami deep into the cellular walls of the kelp without turning it to mush.
- 06
Reunite and finish.
When the final addition of liquid is halfway reduced, return the glazed pork and konnyaku to the pot. Simmer for five more minutes until glossy and wet but not soupy. Stir in the kamaboko, adjust the seasoning with salt, and kill the heat.
Notes
Embrace the weeknight cheat.
If a Sunday pork-boil isn't in the cards, buy pre-sliced belly and fry it raw in step three. Swap the homemade pork dashi with one and a half cups of high-quality, low-sodium chicken broth laced with a splash of extra katsuo dashi.
Let time do the work.
This is textbook jobisai—a prepared side dish meant to linger. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge; the texture and depth of umami will noticeably peak by day two or three.
From Cook Okinawan in America.