November 18, 2014

Tonjiru (Pork Soup)/豚汁

As part of supper tonight, I made tonjiru. I'm going to describe how I make tonjiru.
First of all, the absolutely required ingredients for tonjiru are, for me, pork (obviously), daikon, carrot, and gobo (burdock root). Satoimo (taro) is almost required. The following ingredients are not required but preferred: Some kind of mushroom (such as oyster mushroom, enoki, or shiitake), konnyaku, tofu, naga negi, and grated ginger. The photo below shows almost all the ingredients for today's tonjiru.
今日の夕飯には、豚汁を作りました。私の豚汁の作り方を説明したいと思います。
まず、私にとって絶対に必要な具材は、豚肉(当然)、大根、人参、ごぼうです。里芋もほぼ必須。次のグザイは必須ではないですが、あったほうがいいです:或る種のきのこ(ヒラタケ、エノキ、シイタケなど)、こんにゃく、豆腐、長ネギ、おろし生姜。次の写真には、今日の豚汁のほぼすべての具材が写っています。
 
I start by putting some water in a large pot, and put it on the stove to boil. Then, I cut daikon and add it to the pot. Then, I cut carrot and add it to the pot. I have to do the cutting and the adding quickly before the pot comes to a boil. Then, I cut gobo and add it to the pot. When the pot comes to a boil, I turn the gas low, set the timer to 10 minutes, and start the timer. I add instant dashi. I peel and cut satoimo, and add it to the pot 5 minutes after the boil. Satoimo take about 5 minutes to cook. DON'T OVERCOOK SATOIMO. I add pork, mushroom, and naga negi 8 minutes after the boil. I turn up the gas as needed. I add grated ginger. I turn off the gas 10 minutes after the boil, and add miso. Finally, I add tofu. Done.
Ideally, the cooking time should be 10 minutes, but today, because of the large amount of satoimo, the actual cooking time was 18 minutes.
まず、大きな鍋に水を入れることから始めます。沸騰させるためコンロに置きます。それから大根を切って鍋に入れます。次に人参を切って鍋に入れます。鍋が沸騰する前に、素早く切って入れます。次にごぼうを切って入れます。鍋が沸騰したら、火を弱め、タイマーを10分にセットして、スタートさせます。出汁の素を入れます。里芋の皮を剥き、切り、沸騰してから5分後に鍋に入れます。里芋は火が通るのに5分程度かかります。里芋を煮過ぎないこと。沸騰してから8分後に豚肉、きのこ、長ネギを入れます。必要に応じて、火力を上げます。おろし生姜を入れます。沸騰してから10分後、火を止め、味噌を入れます。最後に豆腐を入れます。完成です。
理想的には、料理時間は10分ですが、今日は、里芋の量が多すぎて、実際の料理時間は18分でした。
My motto in cooking is to cook each ingredient for a sufficient amount of time. I don't want to overcook, and above all, I'm all for eco-friendly cooking!
料理に関する私のモットーは、それぞれの具材を十分な時間料理することです。火を通し過ぎたくないし、何より、エコ(環境に優しい)なクッキングには大賛成です!

5 comments:

  1. Cate: コメントありがとうございます。
    どう料理しても、豚肉とごぼうの組み合わせは最強ですね(笑)。豚丼にも、ごぼうは欠かせない!

    Cateさんのブログ、拝見しました。
    Keep up the good work!!!

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  2. Tonjiru always makes me think of Shinya Shokudo's beginning... Yours looks delicious and I'll make it if one day I have all the obligatory ingredients (not obvious here!).
    By the way, my Italy-grown Yumenishiki rice was out of stock today and instead of buying something cheaper I thought it was a good occasion to try something new and more expensive... and I bought rice from Niigata. I found it at this website when I came back home :
    http://shop.ng-life.jp/sodeyama/新潟県産こしいぶき-袖山商店/
    I'll think of you when I cook it (I'm even thinking of learning to cook in a pot instead of my European rice cooker... so that I don't spoil it).

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  3. Sissi: Me, too. I always think of the beginning of the TV drama when I make tonjiru, although my way of making it is completely different from his.

    Koshiibuki!!! I've talked about this variety several times in my blog, I suppose. It's as good as Koshihikari, yet less expensive. I usually buy Koshiibuki. It's little known outside of Niigata. Today, many prefectures have their own "recommended" varieties like Mori no Kuma San in Kumamoto pref. and Akitakomachi in Akita pref.
    Hokkaido produces more than ten varieties of rice:
    http://www.hokkaido-kome.gr.jp/hinsyu/
    (Sorry, Japanese only)

    I hope Koshiibuki lives up to your expectations!

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  4. Thank you for the link. I must have forgotten you mentioned this variety... I must say that I never expected to find it in Switzerland, so I probably forgot easily the name...
    I am sure at least I'll eat healthier rice because if I understood well it's organic!!! I am lucky to be able to eat most of my food organic, so I'm glad to add rice to this list.
    I'll taste it this weekend.

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