Pork Okonomiyaki

A thick, soft savory pancake where tender cabbage meets crispy grilled pork belly. Topped with a rich brown sauce, Japanese mayo, and bonito flakes that dance in the heat.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 15 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 742
• Protein: 26 g
• Carbs: 50 g
• Fat: 48 g

Ingredients

• 200 g Wheat flour ( sifted )
• 240 ml dashi stock ( cold )
• 4 piece Egg
• 600 g White cabbage ( very thinly shredded )
• 40 g pickled ginger ( chopped )
• 200 g Smoked cured pork belly ( very thinly sliced )
• 4 tbsp Sunflower oil
• 4 tbsp Japanese mayo
• 10 g bonito flakes
• 8 tbsp Okonomiyaki Sauce
• 2 tsp Aonori Seaweed

Instructions

1. Cabbage shredding

   Finely shred the white cabbage with a knife. The strips should be flexible to blend perfectly with the batter without creating air pockets.

2. Batter preparation

   In a mixing bowl, mix the wheat flour and cold dashi broth until smooth. Stir in the eggs without over-whisking to maintain body.

3. Final mix

   Add the shredded cabbage and chopped pickled ginger to the batter. Stir gently with a spatula: each piece of vegetable should be coated with a thin layer of batter.

4. Pan searing

   Heat the sunflower oil. Pour the preparation to form a 2 cm thick disc. Place the pork belly slices on top. When the bottom is golden brown and detaches easily, flip it over with a quick motion.

5. Cooking through

   Cover the pan and cook over medium heat. The meat should become crispy and the center of the pancake should be set but remain tender under finger pressure.

6. Finishing

   Generously coat with okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise in thin lines. Sprinkle with aonori seaweed and bonito flakes, which will start to move with the steam.

Chef's tips

• Never press the pancake down with your spatula; it will force the air out and make it dense.
• If you don't have dashi, a light chicken broth can work in a pinch, though the umami will be less intense.

Storage

Keeps for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan over low heat to maintain the crispiness of the meat.