Sesame Miso Hot Pot (Goma Miso Nabe)

Instructions

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. In a large donabe (earthenware pot, or any large, shallow pot), add 5 cups water, 1 piece kombu (dried kelp), and 4 dried shiitake mushrooms to make cold brew, vegan-friendly dashi. Set aside to steep while you prepare the other ingredients.
3. In a large, ungreased frying pan, add 3 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds and toast them until fragrant.
4. Transfer to a Japanese mortar and pestle (suribachi and surikogi). Grind until 90% of the sesame seeds are crushed, keeping 10% uncrushed for texture.
5. Cut 1½ lb napa cabbage into bite-size pieces. Place them on a large platter.
6. Cut 5 green onions/scallions, 6 stalks mizuna (Japanese mustard green), and 1 bunch garlic chives (Chinese chives or Nira) into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces.
7. To remove the excess oil from the aburaage, you have two options: 1) Put the aburaage in boiling water for 15 seconds, flipping once, or 2) blot the oil with a paper towel. I recommend the first option.
8. Cut 2 pieces aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch) crosswise into 1-inch strips. Cut 1 medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) block into 9 cubes.
9. Cut off and discard the bottoms of 1 package shimeji (brown beech) mushrooms and 1 package maitake mushrooms.
10. Peel and discard the outer skin of 1 carrot. Using the same vegetable peeler, thinly peel the carrots lengthwise into thin strips.
11. Using the back of the knife, scrape off the skin of 1 gobo (burdock root). The flavor of the gobo is right below the skin, so you don't want to peel it away using a peeler. Then, just like the carrot, peel the gobo into strips with the peeler.
12. Soak the gobo in water to prevent browning and to remove the bitter taste.
13. Set the donabe with the soup stock ingredients over medium-low heat. Cover and slowly bring it to a simmer. Once simmering, skim off the foam and scum from the dashi.
14. Remove the kombu (you can reserve it to make Simmered Kombu or Furikake Rice Seasoning). Mince and add 2 cloves garlic (I use a garlic press).
15. Add 2 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp mirin, and 4 Tbsp miso. Let the miso completely dissolve in the ladle before releasing it into the broth.
16. Add the ground sesame seeds.
17. Taste the broth (very important!), and adjust the flavor. I added an additional 2 Tbsp miso. You can add Diamond Crystal kosher salt or doubanjiang (spicy chili bean paste) if you like it spicy.
18. From this point, you can bring the pot to the table to cook OR you can partially cook it in the kitchen first and bring it to the table. Also, bring the platter of ingredients, ladles, chopsticks, and other cooking utensils you need to the table (see my post).
19. You will cook the hot pot in batches. First, add some of the tough/dense ingredients to the broth, such as the tough part of the napa cabbage, followed by the tofu, carrot, and gobo.
20. Then, add some of the aburaage and green onions. Cover to cook for 10 minutes.
21. Add some of the 1 lb thinly sliced ​​pork loin and leafy ingredients that will cook quickly. Pick up the cooked food and enjoy while it's hot. Once the cooked ingredients are served and cleared from the pot, add the next batch of ingredients and continue cooking. Enjoy! Sprinkle shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) at the table for an extra spicy kick.
22. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.