Okinawa Soba

Steps

1. Gather all the ingredients.

2. Place 14 oz pork belly block in a large pot and add 4 cups water (or just enough to cover the meat).

3. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 3–5 minutes until you start to see foam and scum floating on the surface. Drain and quickly rinse the meat and the pot under running water.

4. Place the meat back in the same pot, and add 6 cups water (roughly 2 cups will evaporate and leave 4 cups of stock at the end of simmering). Bring it to a boil.

5. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Skim off the scum and foam floating on the surface.

6. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, add 2 cups water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). Cook for 15 seconds and turn off the heat. This is katsuo dashi. Set it aside to steep a bit more until it’s ready to use.

7. After 1 hour of simmering, take out the meat and cover it with aluminum foil. Set it aside until it‘s cool enough to handle.

8. Strain the pork broth through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve 4 cups pork broth in a measuring cup. You can save the leftover pork broth for Champon or soup (strain and freeze it). Put the 4 cups pork broth back into the pot.

9. Strain the katsuo dashi through a fine-mesh sieve into the pot with the pork broth. Bring the soup broth to a boil.

10. Once boiling, lower the heat and add 2 tsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Mix well and taste the soup broth and see if you need more salt (or soy sauce). Turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Set aside.

11. Once the pork belly is cool enough to handle, cut it into thin slices 3–5 mm thick.

12. In a clean small saucepan, add 2 Tbsp black sugar and 2 Tbsp awamori (Okinawan distilled liquor).

13. Add 2 Tbsp soy sauce and 2 Tbsp water. Mix all together and bring it to a boil.

14. Lower the heat and add the pork belly slices and quickly coat with the sauce.

15. Place an otoshibuta (drop lid) on top of the meat. Cook on low heat for 25–30 minutes until the sauce is almost evaporated. If you don’t want to use the otoshibuta (you can make a homemade drop lid with aluminum foil), you will need to double the sauce ingredients to make sure the pork stays covered while cooking. Tip: With the otoshibuta, you don’t need as much sauce to season the meat. Otoshibuta also lets moisture slowly evaporate and helps the sauce liquid circulate as it hits the lid and goes back down to the sauce.

16. Cut 1 green onion/scallion into thin rounds. Slice the fish cake diagonally into thin slices.

17. Boil 2 servings Okinawa soba noodles according to the package instructions. I cook slightly less than the indicated cooking time. Make sure to use your hands to separate the noodles before adding them to the boiling water. With chopsticks, separate the noodles in the water.

18. Pick up the noodles with a fine-mesh sieve (or drain the noodles into a colander in the sink). Make sure the noodles are well-drained so excess water won’t dilute the soup. Divide the noodles into individual serving bowls.

19. Pour the pork and dashi soup broth over the noodles. Place the stewed pork belly slices on top. Top with fish cakes, green onions, and pickled red ginger. Serve immediately.

20. You can keep the toppings and soup in separate airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days and in the freezer for a month. Prepare the noodles fresh just before serving.