Kiriboshi Daikon and Pork

Some of my favorite Japanese cookbooks are authored by chef Hiromitsu Nozaki of Waketokuyama. He was on NHK's Asaichi, a morning variety program, with some great ideas. This one adds some thinly slicked pork belly to the kiriboshi daikon. What is brilliant is about this is that the pork is so flavorful that there is no need to add dashi.

100 grams kiriboshi daikon
50 grams thinly sliced pork belly
25 grams julienned carrots
1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
green part of a leek

Simmering Liquid
75 ml water
15 ml soy sauce
15 ml mirin
1/2 Tablespoon sugar

Reconstitute the kiriboshi daikon in water. Cut into bite-size pieces. Blanch in hot water for one minute and drain in a strainer.

Cut the pork belly into 2 cm slices. Blanch in hot water.

Julienne the carrots.

In a pot saute the kiriboshi daikon in the vegetable oil. Add the Simmering Liquid and the leek (which adds some sweetness to the dish). Simmer until the broth reduces to half. Remove the leek. Add the pork and carrots. Simmer until most of the liquid has dissipated. Allow to cool in the hot pan. (This is when most of the flavors soak into the vegetables.)