TON-JIRU (BUTA-JIRU) Soup with pork

[torakris]

TON-JIRU (BUTA-JIRU) Soup with pork

This recipe calls for either water or dashi. In these types of soups, filled with a variety of flavors including miso, a lot of Japanese cooks don't feel a dashi is needed. This is also an instance where I feel it is fine to substitute a good instant product as well.

• 100 g (4 to 8 oz) thinly sliced pork, the fattier the better
  
• any of the ingredients listed above in any amount that you like
  
• about 4 to 5 cups of water or dashi
  
• 3 T of miso (Normally brown miso or a mix. White miso or red miso are rarely used alone in these soups).
  
• Sesame oil or other oil
  

1. Heat the sesame oil (in the pan you will use for the soup) over medium high heat, add the pork and cook until it just loses its pinkness. Add the heartier vegetables and cook for a couple minutes without browning. If they start to brown turn down the heat.

2. Add the dashi or water, bring to a boil then turn the heat down so that the soup is just at a simmer. Simmer until the vegetables are just tender (this will depend on the size you cut them into, so try to cut them uniformly). Skim when necessary.

3. Next add the ingredients that require little cooking (tofu products, etc).

4. Place the instant miso into a bowl and add a cup or two of the simmering liquid to dissolve it. Once it is completely dissolved, carefully pour it back into the soup.

5. Taste and adjust, adding more miso if needed. To add more miso always place it into a cup and add some of the simmering liquid, stirring it well to make sure it is completely dissolved. Adding it directly to the soup can occasionally result in a mouthful of undissolved miso.

6. Pour into the individual bowls and garnish with "green-ness" if wanted, and pass the shichimi or sanshou at the table

Keywords: Soup, Japanese, eGCI

( RG695 )