Kuubu Irichi
クーブイリチー·(koo-boo-ee-ree-chee)
Obaa's Pot on the Stove: Slow-Simmered Weekend Comforts
A cellophane packet of dried kombu, a handful of matchstick carrots, and thirty minutes. It is a tragedy that most of the world treats kombu merely as a vehicle for dashi, boiling it once and throwing it away. In Okinawa, it is a staple vegetable eaten by the bowlful. Kuubu Irichi is an island institution, an exercise in patience where shredded kelp is fried in pork fat and slowly fed a rich, dual broth. It is an unassuming routine where an Obaa stirs until the pork fat hisses, yielding a batch that actually gets better after a few days in the fridge. Keep the heat high, and spoon it straight over short-grain rice.
Before you start
Rehydrate the dried kelp in a large bowl of cold water for fifteen minutes.
Once it is plump and softened, rinse it thoroughly in a colander and drain it well.
Boil the konnyaku block in plain water for three minutes and drain.
This simple step removes the earthy, alkaline odor native to konjac root.
Ingredients
- skin-on pork belly block1 lb
- water4 cup
- dried shredded kelp2 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 saltto taste
Method
- 01
Simmer the pork belly in four cups of water for forty-five minutes to yield the foundational pork dashi.
Bring the pot to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer until the meat is tender. Remove the pork to cool on a cutting board, skim any heavy foam from the pot, and measure out exactly one and a half cups of the remaining liquid.
- 02
Slice the cooled pork belly, the parboiled konnyaku, and the kamaboko into matching two-inch matchsticks.
- 03
Whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, awamori, and mirin together in a small bowl.
- 04
Pre-season the proteins so the highly absorbent kelp does not steal all the salt.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok and stir-fry the pork and konnyaku for two minutes. Pour in half the soy mixture to glaze the meat, then remove them to a bowl, leaving the juices behind in the pan.
- 05
Stir-fry the drained kelp vigorously in the remaining tablespoon of oil and the residual pan drippings.
Cook for three to four minutes until the kelp is thoroughly coated in the rendered fat.
- 06
Combine the pork and katsuo dashi and feed it to the kelp in three separate batches.
This is the grandmother's secret. Pour one-third of the combined broth and the remaining soy mixture into the pot, simmering until the liquid is almost fully absorbed before adding the next round. This technique forces the umami deep into the kelp without turning it to mush.
- 07
Return the glazed pork and konnyaku to the pot once the final batch of liquid has halved.
Stir everything together and simmer for five more minutes to marry the flavors.
- 08
Stir in the sliced kamaboko and remove from the heat when the pan is nearly dry.
The dish should look glossy and wet, but not like a soup. Taste a piece of kelp and adjust with a tiny pinch of salt if necessary.
Notes
Keep this in the fridge as a standing side dish.
In Okinawa, this is considered a jobisai. It tastes exponentially better on the second and third days as the kelp continues to absorb the gelatinous pork broth.
Take a shortcut on a busy weeknight.
If you cannot spend forty-five minutes boiling a block of pork, buy pre-sliced pork belly and stir-fry it raw in step four, replacing the homemade pork dashi with a high-quality chicken broth.
Swap the awamori if you cannot find it.
Japanese sake, shochu, or a dry sherry will function flawlessly in place of the native Okinawan rice spirit.
From Cook Okinawan in America.