Ingredients
- 1 Head Napa Cabbage
- 700g Pork Belly Shabu
For The Broth
-
8 slices Ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1200ml Dashi (powder or satchet)
- 2 tbsp Sake
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Salt
For Dipping Sauce
- 1 Scallion
- Ponzu
- Japanese Seven Spice, optional
Instructions
- Make 1200ml dashi. Start cooking over medium heat. When it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
- To make the soup broth, combine dashi, sake, soy sauce, and salt in a measuring cup or mixing bowl.
- Thinly cut green onion/scallion. Put green onions into a small serving bowl to add to the dipping sauce.
- Cut the cabbage's white bottom half with a sharp knife, then pull apart the leafy top half with your hands. Do not cut off the core from the wedges yet. Keep the leaves attached to make layering the pork belly easier.
- Layer sliced pork belly shabu into the cabbage wedges by placing one pork belly in between each of the leaves. Trim the pork belly and layer it in other parts of the wedge if it is too long.
- Once the pork belly slices are tucked in, carefully cut off the cabbage core without disrupting the layers. Cut each wedge into four pieces, with each piece about 5-6cm long.
- Prepare a 10-inch pot and pack the cabbage-shabu stacks starting from the edge of the pot, working your way towards the center. Position the layers parallel to the side of the pot so they eventually form concentric circles. Make sure to pack the pot tightly, as the layers will loosen during cooking
- Insert the thinly sliced ginger between the layers.
- Pour the soup broth into the pot.
- For the dipping sauce, add ponzu and green onion to a small bowl.
- Cook the nabe on medium-high heat. Once boiling, skim off the scum and fat on the surface. Then, reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking until the cabbage is tender and pork belly is cooked through. Serve it dipped in ponzu sauce and enjoy!
Recipe inspiration here