(NOAH) Yoshiki Inamura's Pork Chankonabe

This Chankonabe recipe comes from one that Yoshiki Inamura demonstrated on a Noah YouTube video on the 4th June 2021. Inamura cooked for four people (including himself) and so the amounts he used were quite large, you probably won't need as much as he did and so you should adjust amounts accordingly. Remember everything sits on the top with this stew, you don't need to force anything down

There is no cooking time or amounts for Chankonabe, it depends on your judgement. Inamura seemed to prepare the ingredients while the ingredients before were cooking to judge cooking times. Please remember when cooking that you should keep the heat on a gentle boil, a strong boil will turn the ingredients to mush and you don't want to over boil the vegetables. This recipe uses pork, but feel free to substitute this for chicken if needs be. Pork is not usually eaten by sumo wrestlers before big matches, as pig is an animal that walks on all fours, when a sumo wants to stand on two legs.

You should be able to source the majority of the ingredients either at a local Asian store (perfect for everything), a local supermarket (might not be so good if it is not a big one and probably won't give you some ingredients such as Daikon or Inari-Age) and you can order some ingredients through Amazon. 

Equipment

1 x medium to large pot with lid (depends on how many you are cooking for)

1 x Ladle

2 x tablespoons 

If you have one a portable gas burner please place this on the dining table, if you don't have one can leave the chankonabe bubbling on the hob.

Ingredients

Water (you don't need to fill the pan to the brim as the ingredients will push the water up. Inamura uses a method of measuring out the amount by using a bowl, one bowl of water per person)

For the soup stock

Mirin (Please do not try and drink this)

Cooking Sake (Inamura uses cooking sake, but for a more authentic taste you can use Sake)

1 x Kombu seaweed sheet (please either tear off or cut off a small to medium square)

Dashi powder (Bonito flakes) - 1 sachet

Stew

Enoki mushrooms 

Shimeji mushrooms 

1 x Carrot

1 x Onion

1 x Daikon (White radish. Noah grow their own thanks to HAYATA, but you will have to find yours in a store. You probably won't need to use all unless you are cooking for four or more).

Thin pork belly slices

Red Miso soup paste

Salt

Chinese cabbage (chopped, pre-prepared)

Inari Age (Fried tofu pockets)

Tofu (use medium to firm)

Pre-prepare the Daikon and the Chinese cabbage by chopping them and putting them to one side. 

Make your base by bringing the water to a gentle boil and then adding the square of kombu. Make your base by adding mirin, sake and Dashi powder. Inamura poured the mirin and Sake in (Kiyomiya teased him that he didn't measure it), but if you do want to measure it then measure it out by using one ladle full of each. 

After making your base, chop the Enoki mushrooms and place them in the pot, and to the same with the Shimeji mushrooms. Remembering to chop the brown roots\ends off beforehand, and separating them before you put them in. 

Chop the ends off of the carrot, then peel and chop into four slices. You want to then chop the carrot into quarter slices, no need to dice them or cut them into sticks. Place in the pot. Peel and slice the onion, then chop. Like the carrot you don't need to chop too finely and so cut into quarter slices. Add to the pot. 

Add the chopped Daikon to the pot

Stir and leave the vegetables to simmer for a few minutes before adding the meat

Add the pork (or substitute) 

Skim the scum off of the surface using a ladle. Make sure that most if not all of it has gone before you add the next ingredients. 

Add one ladle full (or one heaped tablespoon full) to the pot of Miso soup paste, do this by gently setting it down near the centre and then pushing it off using another spoon. 

Stir gently and skim off any scum for the next few minutes (Inamura here tested the stock, so you might want to too)

Season with salt (adjust to your taste, Inamura like the cooking liquor, just poured it in). Spend a few minutes more stirring the mixture and removing any scum. 

Add the Chinese Cabbage around the pot leaving a space in the middle for the tofu. 

Place the lid on the pot, and chop the Inari-age into slices, afterwards place the Inari-age on the top of the stew. Remember to place it on the Chinese Cabbage, leaving a rough circle in the middle for the tofu.

The tofu blocks can either be cut in traditional style by holding the block of tofu in one hand and gently cutting into blocks with a knife, or if you do not feel confident doing this, cutting it on a board. However you do it (and I am not responsible for what you do), place the tofu in the circle you left in the middle of the stew. Place the lid back on and leave to cook for a few minutes more. The dish should be ready when the tofu starts to sink, it should not be submerged in the soup. 

If you have a portable gas burner you can set this up on the table and transfer the pot over a medium flame, remember to keep it at a gentle boil, and allow the diners to help themselves, after all it is a social meal. If you don't have one, keep it bubbling on the stove and serve your diners. 

For other Noah (and some All Japan Four Pillars era) chanko recipes, please click this link

GIF credit: Noah Official YouTube