Nakami Jiru
中身汁·(nah-kah-mee jee-roo)
Obaa's Pot on the Stove: Slow-Simmered Weekend Comforts
If there is one dish that separates a casual cook from a true Okinawan Obaa, it is Nakami Jiru. To the uninitiated, pork offal soup sounds like heavy, pungent street food, but authentic Nakami Jiru is the exact opposite—a highly refined, crystal-clear broth that smells of the ocean and earth, with zero hint of the barnyard. Achieving this absolute purity requires an aggressive, borderline-obsessive cleaning ritual using handfuls of flour and repeated boiling. It is a labor of deep maternal love. Do the heavy lifting of washing and simmering on a Sunday, freezing the tenderized meat and broth. On a busy Thursday, you can resurrect the soul of the Ryukyu Kingdom in exactly fifteen minutes.
Before you start
Hydrate the mushrooms.
Soak the dried shiitake in warm water for 30 minutes. Squeeze out excess water, remove stems, slice thinly, and reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.
Neutralize the konnyaku.
Rub the block of konnyaku with a heavy pinch of salt, rinse, and boil in plain water for 3 minutes to remove its alkaline smell, then slice into thin matchsticks.
Slice the kamaboko.
Cut the fish cake into thin strips matching the size of the konnyaku.
Ingredients
- pork bung1 1/2 lb
- lean pork shoulder1/2 lb
- all-purpose flour1 cup
- kosher salt2 tbsp
- dried shiitake mushrooms4 med
- konnyaku1 block
- kamaboko1 small
- katsuo dashi4 cup
- water4 cup
- usukuchi shoyu1 tbsp
- sea salt1 tsp
- fresh ginger1 med
Method
- 01
Perform the flour massage.
Dump the flour and coarse kosher salt directly onto the wet, raw intestines in a large bowl. Plunge your hands in and knead vigorously, scrubbing the meat against itself until the flour turns into a sticky, grey paste. Rinse thoroughly under cold water and repeat until the intestines feel squeaky clean.
- 02
Execute the first boil.
Place the washed intestines in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes. The water will turn cloudy and foamy with impurities.
- 03
Discard and repeat.
Dump the entire pot into a colander, rinse the meat under cold water, wash the pot, and boil again in fresh water. Repeat this process until the boiling water remains practically clear (usually 2 to 3 times for store-bought pork bung).
- 04
Simmer to tenderize.
Return the clean intestines to the pot along with the pork shoulder and 4 cups of fresh water. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until a fork easily pierces the offal.
- 05
Slice the meat and reserve the stock.
Remove the meat, let it cool, and cut it into thin, matchstick-like strips. Save the cooking liquid—this is your pristine pork dashi. (If making ahead, freeze the sliced meat and dashi at this point).
- 06
Assemble the final soup.
In a clean pot, combine 2 cups of your pork dashi, 4 cups of katsuo dashi, and 1/2 cup of the reserved mushroom liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- 07
Warm the ingredients and season.
Add the sliced offal, pork shoulder, shiitake, konnyaku, and kamaboko. Season with the light soy sauce and sea salt, simmering gently for 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and crown with a generous pinch of freshly grated ginger.
Notes
The secret of umami synergy.
We are building a matrix of inosinic acid from the pork and bonito, and guanylic acid from the dried mushrooms. Do not substitute fresh shiitake, or the architecture of the broth collapses.
Protect the broth's clarity.
Use usukuchi (light) soy sauce. The visual signature of this soup is its pale gold transparency. Dark soy sauce will ruin the illusion of a clean, refreshing broth.
Embrace the frozen aisle.
Asking an American butcher for a 'pig's rectum' is an unnecessary chore. Frozen 'pork bung' from a local Asian market is perfectly authentic, but never trust that it is pre-cleaned. Always perform Obaa's flour-wash ritual.
From Cook Okinawan in America.