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Meat, East Asian

Pork okonomiyaki

Pork okonomiyaki is a large Japanese cabbage pancake cooked in a skillet, topped with smoky pork belly, brown sauce and mayonnaise. This recipe serves 4, takes 35 minutes and is rated medium difficulty, for €2.30 per person. The key to success is a batter that's barely mixed and cooking four individual pancakes, which are easier to flip than one big one.

Tonight, a big Japanese cabbage pancake, okonomiyaki, topped with pork, brown sauce and mayonnaise.

Pork okonomiyaki
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.30
Calories per person
580 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Under a golden, crisp crust, okonomiyaki hides a soft center where melted cabbage mingles with smoky pork belly. The brown sauce, sweet and slightly tangy, meets creamy mayonnaise for a contrast that makes this Japanese pancake so appealing. Bonito flakes rippling in the heat add a briny touch and a little show at the table.

This is a great dish for a weeknight when you want to break the routine without spending hours cooking. Kids generally love the pork and sweet sauce version, and everyone can build their own pancake if you turn it into a cooking activity. Mon Chou suggests this recipe when you want a complete, fun meal that's different from the usual.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • White cabbage 400 g
  • Scallions 4

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 200 g
  • Dashi broth 20 cl
  • Ketchup 3 tbsp
  • Worcestershire sauce 3 tbsp
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Bonito flakes 10 g
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp

Dairy

  • Eggs 4
  • Mayonnaise 4 tbsp

Butcher

  • Smoked pork belly, thinly sliced 200 g

Allergens Gluten, Eggs, Soy, Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Thinly shred the cabbage and finely chop the scallions.

    The thinner the cabbage, the more tender the pancake.

  2. Mix the flour with the dashi, add the eggs, then the cabbage and scallions.

    Mix just enough to moisten everything, overworked batter turns elastic.

  3. Heat the oil in a large skillet, pour in a quarter of the batter, lay pork belly slices on top and let it cook. 5 min

    Make four pancakes the size of a dessert plate, they're easier to flip.

  4. Flip the pancake with a confident motion and continue cooking the other side. 5 min

    Use a flat plate to help you flip it if you're not confident in your technique.

  5. Mix the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, brush it over the pancake, drizzle with mayonnaise and scatter with bonito flakes.

    Use a freezer bag with a corner snipped off to draw neat lines of mayonnaise.

Our tips to get it right

  • Drain the shredded cabbage well if it releases water, a batter that's too wet won't hold together in the pan.
  • Let the pork belly cook undisturbed for the first few minutes, it needs to brown before you flip the pancake.
  • Prepare the sauces and chop the toppings before you start cooking, since once you're at the stove you'll need to work through all four pancakes without stopping.

The variations

  • Swap the pork belly for peeled shrimp or sliced squid for a seafood version.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the pork, use a vegetable dashi and add sliced shiitake mushrooms.
  • To go faster with kids, cook one large pancake in the pan instead of four and cut it into portions at the table.

What to serve it with

  • A bowl of miso soup to start
  • Steamed white rice
  • Hot green tea

Storage

Keep cooked pancakes in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 2 days. They freeze well without the sauce toppings, and reheat best in a skillet to bring back the crispness. Add the sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes only right before serving.

Questions about this dish

Can I replace the dashi broth with something else?

Yes, you can use water with a pinch of powdered fish stock, or plain water if you don't have dashi on hand. The flavor will be a bit less savory but the pancake will still turn out well.

Can I make the batter ahead of time?

You can shred the cabbage and mix the liquid batter a few hours ahead, but add the cabbage and eggs right before cooking. Batter that sits too long releases water and becomes hard to flip.

How do I keep the pancake from breaking when I flip it?

Make dessert plate sized pancakes instead of one large one, they're much easier to handle. A flat plate placed over the skillet also helps you flip it in one confident motion.

Are bonito flakes essential?

They bring the signature smoky flavor and the rippling effect from the heat, but you can leave them out if you can't find any. The pancake will still taste great thanks to the sauce and mayonnaise.

How long does it take to make a pork okonomiyaki?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a pork okonomiyaki?

About 580 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a pork okonomiyaki cost?

About €2.30 per serving, or €9.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, eggs, soy, fish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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