Okinawa Soba Noodles

Submitted by Pearl Ishizaki

"One of the things you shouldn’t miss when you go to Okinawa, Japan is to try their soba. It’s a tasty noodle soup served with soft braised pork slices. Anyway, it’s really hard to miss it because soba shops are everywhere in the island. Different parts of pork can be used and the most common is the spare ribs or soki but for this recipe, I've made use of pork loins. I’ve made a simple recipe for Okinawa soba which you can do at home easily."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 2

ingredients

• 200 g okinawa soba noodles (wheat noodles)
• 400 g pork
• 1⁄3 cup awamori
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 pieces fish cakes
• 5 g red pickled ginger (benishoga)
• 5 g chopped green onions
• 5 cups water
• 2 cups dashi

directions

1. Before starting, leave the pork at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
2. Put the pork in a pan then pour water just enough to cover the pork. Bring it to a boil then keep boiling for about 5 minutes then drain and discard the liquid.
3. Pour 5 cups of water in a pot then add 1/3 cup of awamori. Add the pork then bring it to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low then simmer for at least an hour or until the pork becomes tender.
4. Remove the pork and reserve the broth which will be used later. Slice the pork into several large pieces.
5. Place the pork slices in a pot then add 1/2 cup of the reserved pork broth, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 3 tablespoons of soysauce. Cook for 20 minutes using medium-low heat. Turn off the heat then set aside the pork.
6. In a pot, pour 2 cups of the reserved pork broth then add 2 cups of dashi stock. Bring it to a boil then add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and adjust taste with salt. This will be the soup for the soba.
7. Cook the soba noodles according to the package's instruction.
8. Drain the soba noodles then transfer it to a large serving bowl. Pour the soup then add a piece of fishcake and a slice or two of the braised pork. Add some red pickled ginger and chopped green onions as toppings. Serve while hot.