Botan Nabe (Japanese Wild Boar Hotpot)

Method6 steps · about 30 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Add 800 ml ready dashi, 5 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp light brown sugar and 1 tbsp sesame paste to a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat, then let it bubble for 1–2 minutes. Start checking at 1 minute, then turn off the heat.

   Initial broth boil · 1 minUses 800 ml dashi stock · 5 tbsp sake · 2 tbsp mirin · 1 tbsp light brown sugar · 1 tbsp sesame paste (nerigoma)

   
2. 2

   Step 2: With the heat off, place the 3 tbsp red miso and 2 tbsp white miso on a mesh spoon or ladle. Dip it into the broth from step 1 and whisk the pastes until smooth enough to blend into the soup.

   Uses hot dashi and sesame broth · 3 tbsp red miso paste · 2 tbsp white miso paste

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Prepare the vegetables and tofu: cube the 100 g firm tofu, roughly cut the 100 g Napa cabbage, diagonally slice the white part of the 30 g Japanese leek, trim the 50 g mizuna and 50 g enoki, peel and slice the 50 g carrot, trim the stems of the 30 g shiitake and slice the 30 g fried tofu pouch. Arrange everything in the miso broth from step 2. Place the 200 g thinly sliced wild boar in the middle, rolling it into a peony shape if desired.

   Uses red-and-white-miso broth · 200 g wild boar loin (thinly sliced) · 100 g firm tofu (grilled if possible, cubed) · 100 g Napa cabbage (hakusai, roughly cut) · 30 g Japanese leek (naganegi) (white part, diagonally cut) · 50 g mizuna, stems trimmed · 50 g enoki mushrooms · 50 g carrot (peeled and sliced)

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Return the arranged hotpot from step 3 to medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Keep the broth just below a boil to preserve the miso flavor. Simmer until all the vegetables are tender and every wild-boar slice is fully cooked, reaching at least 75 °C (167 °F) in its center before serving. Check the meat with a food thermometer; the cooking endpoint governs rather than a fixed simmer time.

   Uses arranged raw wild-boar hotpot

5. 5

   Step 5: Once everything in step 4 is cooked, divide the meat, tofu and vegetables between 2 bowls with some broth. If desired, add sansho pepper to taste from the optional two-pinch supply. Keep the remaining broth for the last course.

   Uses fully cooked wild-boar hotpot · Optional sansho pepper to taste, from the two-pinch supply

6. 6

   Step 6: For an optional last course, add the 2 portions of already cooked and drained ramen noodles (2) to the broth remaining from step 5. Warm gently until the noodles are hot, then divide between the bowls and serve.

   Uses Broth remaining after the meat, tofu and vegetables have been served · 2 portions ready cooked ramen noodles, optional, for the leftover broth