Japanese Pork, Vegetable and Miso Stew (Tonjiru)

Ingredients

• 12 oz boneless pork belly or pork shoulder (Thinly sliced; pork belly gives the richest result, while pork shoulder is leaner.)
• 8 oz daikon radish (Peeled and cut into bite-size wedges or half-moons.)
• 1 carrot (Medium; peeled and cut into bite-size pieces.)
• 4 oz burdock root (Optional but traditional; scrubbed, thinly sliced, and soaked briefly in water to prevent discoloration.)
• 4 oz konnyaku (Cut into bite-size pieces; rinse before using. Substitute extra daikon or potatoes if unavailable.)
• 1 medium potato (Peeled and cut into bite-size chunks.)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil (For sautéing.)
• 1 tbsp ginger (Fresh, finely grated or minced.)
• 6 cup dashi (Homemade or instant dashi. If unavailable, use 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth plus 2 cups water, as suggested in the source.)
• 0.5 cup red miso (Any miso may be used; white miso is milder and sweeter and may require additional soy sauce or salt.)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (Add more to taste, especially when using white miso.)
• 2 scallions (Thinly sliced, for serving.)
• salt (To taste; the amount depends on the dashi and miso used.)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare all of the vegetables before cooking. Peel and cut the daikon, carrot, potato, and burdock into bite-size pieces. If using burdock, soak the slices briefly in water, then drain. Rinse the konnyaku and cut it into bite-size pieces.

2. 2

   Heat the sesame oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the sliced pork and cook, stirring, until the surface is no longer pink and some fat has rendered, about 3 to 4 minutes.

3. 3

   Add the ginger and cook with the pork until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the daikon, carrot, burdock, konnyaku, and potato, and stir to coat them with the rendered pork fat and sesame oil.

4. 4

   Pour in the dashi. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.

5. 5

   Simmer the stew, partially covered, until the pork is tender and the root vegetables can be pierced easily with a fork, about 35 to 45 minutes. Avoid a vigorous boil, which can make the broth cloudy and cause the vegetables to break apart.

6. 6

   Place the red miso in a small bowl. Ladle about 1 cup of the hot broth into the bowl and whisk until the miso is as smooth as possible. This prevents undissolved clumps, especially with coarse red miso.

7. 7

   Stir the dissolved miso mixture back into the pot. Add the soy sauce, taste the broth, and season with additional soy sauce or salt only if needed. Do not boil hard after adding the miso; warm the stew gently for 2 to 3 minutes so its flavor remains rounded.

8. 8

   Ladle the tonjiru into bowls and garnish with the sliced scallions. Serve hot.

Notes

The accessible source excerpt does not include the original ingredient list or full directions because the recipe is member-restricted; the quantities and most cooking details above are a best-effort reconstruction from the dish description and standard tonjiru technique. The source specifically recommends dissolving miso in hot broth before adding it to the soup. It also notes that instant dashi is available in powder, granule, or sachet form, and that a blend of miso varieties may be used.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• stew
• soup
• Japanese
• umami-rich
• one-pot
• comfort food
• dairy-free