Pork Stew with Tofu and Vegetables (Tonjiro)

On a 2025 trip to Japan, Chef Marata prepared a meal for Chris Kimball and Matt Card in his home kitchen. This homey pork stew was one of the courses. Marata used pork belly, but said loin would work fine; Japanese pork loin is much richer and fattier than what you can get in the U.S., so we think pork shoulder or boneless country-style ribs would also work well.

To make this stew, Marata seared cubed pork belly in a big pot, then added half-moon slices of carrot and onion, mushrooms, daikon radish (also cut in half-moons) and pan-fried slices of tofu. He then added some sake and dashi to create a broth and simmered the stew for about 20 minutes. For the finishing touch, he added red miso for savory depth and grated fresh ginger to lift the flavors of the stew.