(NOAH) Mitsuharu Misawa's favorite Chankonabe

Akira Taue made this recipe when he appeared on a TV show called "Gourmand's Table" which was broadcast on Fuji TV in July 2010, to make a chanko that Misawa enjoyed eating and that Taue used to make for him. Misawa often ate it because he wanted to overcome Jumbo Tsuruta, who was naturally strong. Touchingly throughout the interview, Taue referred to Mitsuharu Misawa as "Mii-chan" (Kenta Kobashi called him "Oniisan", which means older brother)

As ever with Chanko you can adjust it to suit however many people you are cooking for, if you are cooking for one person I recommend you use half a packet of mince. I also recommend that you only fill the pan that you are using up to just below half way as the ingredients used will help push the water up. I am afraid that I don't have any exact amounts, so this will be a case of using your own judgement. 

Ingredients for the chanko base

Mirin (Japanese cooking wine. You may be able to buy it in your local supermarket, but its more likely you will find it in an Asian store. Please do not try to drink it, it is used for cooking only. If you are diabetic or have sugar intolerance, you may wish to find a brand with a lower sugar amount by comparing them)

Sake (Sake used for cooking can be found easily, but what makes the dish more authentic is the use of the alcoholic kind. Some Japanese cooks will not use anything else. I always keep a bottle of cheap Sake in my fridge for cooking, and a bottle of cooking Sake in my cupboard for emergencies)

Dashi Stock (You can find this in Asian supermarkets, you want the powdered type which comes in sachets)

Kombu (otherwise known as Kelp seaweed, these are sold in sheets)

As Taue does not explicitly explain which base he uses, I would recommend that you bring the water to a gentle simmer (not a rapid boil) and add one sachet of Dashi stock, then one or two cups (or ladel fulls) of the mirin and then the sake. Throw in two small pieces of kelp, you only need the size of a thumbnail. You may also wish to experiment by soaking a sheet (or half a sheet) beforehand for about ten to twenty minutes, then after you have discarded the kelp, using the water left over as a base.  

Ingredients for the chanko

Minced pork x 1 packet

Mushrooms (Shitake, Shimeji or Enoki, diced up very finely)

1 x egg 

1 - 2 Carrots (peeled and chopped into strips and then into chunks)

Silken Tofu

Chinese cabbage (not Bok Choi)

Spring Onions (chopped)

Yamaimo (East Asian mountain yam. This is probably the most difficult ingredient to get for anyone outside of Japan, but you could try to find substitutes such as Chinese Yam, Nagaimo, or at a push use grated potato, but you need to grate it very finely so you get a slippery wet pulp. If you do find Yamaimo, please grate it finely with the skin on.)

Making the chanko

Put the pork into a mixing bowl and mix with one egg. Add the yam (or yam substitute) and then the mushrooms. Mix all together. 

Once the water is at a gentle boil, scoop the mixture up using a spoon into balls and add to the pan. 

Let the mixture simmer for about ten minutes or so, turning the meatballs with either cooking chopsticks or a ladle. 

After about ten minutes or so, add the cabbage leaves, the spring onions, and the carrots. Press down gently, but do not drown everything under the water. 

Finally, add the tofu. 

As a general rule of thumb, a Chankonabe dish is usually done once the top ingredients are almost submerged by the water, but please check the pork before serving to make sure it is cooked through. 

Other Chanko Recipes

Chanko from the Noah dojo 

Chicken salt chankonabe 

Masa Kitamiya's curry chankonabe