Kiriboshi Daikon and Pork

Some of my favorite Japanese cookbooks are authored by chef Hiromitsu Nozaki of Waketokuyama. He was on NHK's Asaichi, a morning variety program, with some great ideas. This one adds some thinly slicked pork belly to the kiriboshi daikon. What is brilliant is about this is that the pork is so flavorful that there is no need to add dashi.

100 grams kiriboshi daikon
50 grams thinly sliced pork belly
25 grams julienned carrots
1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
green part of a leek

Simmering Liquid
75 ml water
15 ml soy sauce
15 ml mirin
1/2 Tablespoon sugar

Reconstitute the kiriboshi daikon in water. Cut into bite-size pieces. Blanch in hot water for one minute and drain in a strainer.

Cut the pork belly into 2 cm slices. Blanch in hot water.

Julienne the carrots.

In a pot saute the kiriboshi daikon in the vegetable oil. Add the Simmering Liquid and the leek (which adds some sweetness to the dish). Simmer until the broth reduces to half. Remove the leek. Add the pork and carrots. Simmer until most of the liquid has dissipated. Allow to cool in the hot pan. (This is when most of the flavors soak into the vegetables.)

Bacon Wrapped Enoki Mushrooms

Who doesn't love bacon? While it may not be a traditional Japanese ingredient, bacon is used from time to time in the Japanese kitchen. This enoki bacon maki is a popular okazu or side dish. Best of all, it is good whether hot or at room temperature. These usually get eaten up quickly, so if I want to use some for a bento it's best to save a few.

I can't be bothered with toothpicks to secure them shut. So instead I use longer slices of bacon and wrap up the bunches of enoki. Just saute until the bacon is cooked and you have a nice addition to any dinner. 

One Dish Summer Salads

When it is still hot out I like to make hearty one bowl salad meals topped with either cooked chicken or thin strips of pork belly (easy to find in Japan but hard to find in the USA unless you are at a Japanese or Korean market).

The top salad here is simply shredded chicken, lettuce, steamed bean sprouts, fruit tomatoes, and julienned carrots, cucumbers, red bell peppers. My go to dressing is an umami-packed nutty, sweet, and slightly spicy banbanji sauce (recipe below).

This salad is steamed julienned cabbage, steamed bean sprouts, julienned carrots, cucumbers, and red bell pepper topped with the thin cuts of pork belly that has been quickly blanched in hot water (similar to a shabu-shabu). The first time I saw cold pork I didn't think it would be appetizing but when served with all of these vegetables and the banbanji sauce it is delicious.

Both of these salads are satisfying, filling, and hit the spot on a hot day. Everything can be prepared ahead of time so you can chill the ingredients in the fridge before serving.

Quick and Easy Banbanji Sauce

2 Tablespoons nerigoma (toasted sesame paste, do not used tahini, use peanut butter instead)

2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon rayu (spicy sesame oil)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. It will keep in the fridge for several days, just stir before serving.