Motsuni – Japanese Simmered Offal Stew
Tender pork offal, daikon, carrot, burdock root, and konjac are slowly simmered in a rich miso broth. Thoroughly blanching the offal removes any unwanted odor, leaving a deeply savory and comforting Japanese dish.
Motsu nikomi is a classic Japanese comfort food made by slowly simmering pork offal with root vegetables and konjac in a savory miso broth. It is especially popular at izakaya pubs, where its rich, warming flavor makes it a favorite alongside a glass of sake.
The secret to truly delicious motsu nikomi is preparing the offal carefully. This recipe takes a little extra time to blanch it thoroughly with sake, garlic, and ginger, but the result is worth it. The offal becomes tender and clean tasting, while the daikon, burdock root, and konjac soak up the flavorful miso broth.
For an even deeper flavor, let the finished stew cool completely before reheating it. The ingredients absorb more of the broth as they rest, making this a wonderful dish to prepare ahead of time.
What you'll need
- Pork offal, preferably already twice blanched: 300 g
- Konjac: 200 to 250 g, or 300 g if you like extra
- Daikon radish: 1/2
- Carrot: 1/2
- Burdock root: 1
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Ginger: 1 small piece
- <Seasoning>
- Water: 400 ml
- Cooking sake: 200 ml
- Sugar: 1 tbsp
- Miso: 4 tbsp
- Japanese dashi powder: 1 tsp
- <For serving>
- Finely sliced green onion: to taste
- Shichimi chili pepper: to taste
- <For blanching>
- Salt: as needed
- Water: 400 to 500 ml each time
- Cooking sake: 3 tbsp each time
How to make it
Rub the pork offal thoroughly with salt to remove impurities and any unwanted smell, then rinse well under running water. Place it in a pot with 400 to 500 ml of water and 3 tablespoons of cooking sake. Boil for about 10 minutes, then drain. Peel the daikon and carrot and cut into quarter rounds. Scrub the burdock root and cut into bite sized pieces. Tear or cut the konjac into small pieces. Thinly slice the garlic and ginger.
Add another 400 to 500 ml of water and 3 tablespoons of cooking sake to a clean pot along with the garlic and ginger. Bring to a boil, add the offal, and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Drain everything together, including the garlic and ginger.
In a separate pot, combine 400 ml water and 200 ml cooking sake and bring to a boil. Add the offal, garlic, and ginger, followed by the konjac, daikon, carrot, and burdock root. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes.
Once the vegetables are tender, stir in the sugar, miso, and dashi powder. Cover again and simmer over low heat for another 20 minutes. For a deeper flavor, allow the stew to cool completely before reheating. Serve topped with sliced green onion and shichimi chili pepper if desired.
Tips
- Blanching the offal thoroughly is the key to a clean tasting motsu nikomi. Even when using preblanched offal, the extra preparation with sake, garlic, and ginger helps remove any lingering odor.
- Tearing the konjac by hand creates an uneven surface, helping it absorb more of the flavorful miso broth.
- Motsu nikomi tastes even better after resting. Let it cool once, then gently reheat before serving so the miso broth penetrates the offal and vegetables more deeply.
What to drink with it
