Name: Buta kakuni Recipe
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Yield: Serves 2 to 3
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons soybean oil; 1 pound boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 2-inch cubes; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup mirin; 1/4 cup sake; 2 tablespoons sugar; 1 thin slice fresh ginger; 1 dried red chile pepper; Pinch dry oregano

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By Noelle Carter

June 18, 2008

Dear SOS: Ita-Cho restaurant on Beverly Boulevard makes the best buta kakuni [a Japanese pork dish]. My family just loves it. Any possibility of getting the recipe?

Cari Masuda

Beverly Hills

Dear Cari: Here’s a variation on the traditional Japanese braised pork dish that won’t take days to prepare. Ita-Cho’s recipe combines meltingly tender cubes of pork shoulder or butt simmered in a sweet broth of soy sauce, mirin and sake -- with a little fresh ginger and chile powder thrown in for a hint of spice.

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Heat a medium saute pan over high heat. Add the soybean oil just until shimmering, then sear the pork on all sides. Remove and set aside the pork.

In a medium heavy-bottom pot, combine the pork with the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, ginger, chile and oregano along with 4 cups of water. Bring the contents to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the pork is fork tender, about 2 hours. Add the water as the liquid reduces to keep the pork just submerged at all times.

Serve the pork in a bowl with some of the liquid poured over.

Adapted from an Ita-Cho recipe. Ita-Cho serves this with Japanese mustard and steamed Chinese broccoli. Mirin, a sweet cooking wine, is at well-stocked supermarkets.