105 min
Filipino-Style Pork Adobo with Eggs & Steamed Rice
Pork belly and shoulder braise in soy, cane vinegar, garlic, bay and cracked pepper until tender, then share their glossy sauce with jammy eggs and hot jasmine rice.
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Osaka-Style Pork Okonomiyaki with Cabbage & Bonito
Crisp-edged Japanese savory pancakes hide a tender cabbage-and-pork center beneath glossy okonomiyaki sauce, Kewpie mayonnaise, aonori and dancing bonito flakes.
Directions
Mix the quick okonomiyaki sauce
Whisk the ketchup, Worcestershire, oyster sauce and honey in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer the mayonnaise to a squeeze bottle or snip a tiny corner from a zip-top bag so the photographed thin white stripes are easy to make.
Make a light batter
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the dashi and eggs and whisk only until no dry flour remains; a few small lumps are better than an overmixed, tough pancake.
Fold in the cabbage
Add the shredded cabbage, scallions and tenkasu to the batter. Fold with a flexible spatula until every strand is lightly coated. The mixture should look mostly like cabbage held together by a thin batter, not pourable pancake batter.
Shape the first pancake
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Spoon half the cabbage mixture into the skillet and shape it into an even 7-inch round about 1 inch thick. Do not press it flat. Arrange half the pork slices in one layer across the top.
Cook the first side
Cover and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until the underside is deeply golden and the cabbage begins to soften. Slide a wide spatula underneath to confirm the pancake releases cleanly before attempting to flip.
Flip and cook the pork side
Set a dinner plate over the skillet, invert the pancake onto it, then slide it back into the skillet pork-side down. Cover and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Uncover and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until the pork is browned and reaches at least 145°F and the center of the pancake feels set rather than wet.
Repeat without crowding
Transfer the first pancake to a warm plate. Wipe out any dark crumbs, add the remaining tablespoon oil and repeat with the remaining cabbage mixture and pork. Keep the first pancake warm in a 200°F oven if desired.
Glaze and garnish
Brush each hot pancake generously with okonomiyaki sauce. Pipe mayonnaise in narrow parallel stripes, sprinkle with aonori and finish with bonito flakes so the heat makes them flutter. Serve the pickled ginger alongside, matching the photographed glossy brown, white and green finish.
Slice and serve
Cut each pancake into four wedges and serve two wedges per person while the edges are crisp. Provide extra sauce and pickled ginger at the table rather than soaking the cut surfaces in advance.
Why this works
Why it worksFinely shredded cabbage steams inside the covered pancake while a restrained amount of batter binds it, producing a tender center rather than a dense floury cake.
Why it worksStarting pork-side up lets the cabbage base set firmly enough to flip; the pork then renders directly against the pan and flavors the pancake as it finishes.
Why it worksSweet-tangy sauce, rich mayonnaise, savory bonito and mineral aonori create the characteristic layered finish visible in the photograph.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
Paid links: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You pay no additional cost.
Compare on Amazon12-inch cast-iron skilletA broad, heat-steady surface builds crisp golden bases on two cabbage pancakes without crowding.See current options →
Compare on AmazonStainless mixing bowl setA broad bowl gives five packed cups of cabbage room to fold into the light batter without crushing the shreds.See current options →
Compare on AmazonMandoline slicerUniform fine cabbage shreds steam tender on schedule; always use the slicer's included hand guard near the blade.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Replace pork belly with 8 ounces peeled raw shrimp chopped into 1/2-inch pieces. Fold them into the batter and cook until every piece reaches 145°F.
- If Kewpie mayonnaise is unavailable, stir 1 teaspoon rice vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon sugar into 1/3 cup regular mayonnaise.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the pork, oyster sauce and bonito. Add 6 ounces thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms to the cabbage and use vegetarian Worcestershire plus hoisin in place of oyster sauce.
Cook notes
- A mandoline produces the fine, even cabbage shreds that soften on schedule, but use its hand guard and stop before the cabbage becomes too small to hold safely.
- Tenkasu adds small crisp pockets but is optional; do not replace it with a large amount of panko, which absorbs moisture and makes the center bready.
- Two medium pancakes are much easier to flip and cook through than one oversized pancake, and they match the two-pancake presentation in the photograph.
Storage
Cool ungarnished pancakes and refrigerate in a shallow airtight container within 2 hours for up to 3 days. Reheat on a lightly oiled skillet over medium-low for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F. Add sauce, mayonnaise, aonori and bonito only after reheating. Freeze parchment-separated, ungarnished pancakes for up to 1 month.
Questions
Why did my okonomiyaki fall apart when I flipped it?
The first side had not formed a firm crust or the cabbage was too coarsely cut. Keep the pancake near 7 inches, cook it covered for the full 6 to 7 minutes and verify that a wide spatula can lift the whole base before flipping with a plate.
Can I make okonomiyaki batter ahead?
Whisk the flour batter and refrigerate it for up to 8 hours, but fold in cabbage, scallions and tenkasu immediately before cooking. Salted batter pulls water from cabbage and becomes thin if it sits assembled.
What can I use if I cannot find dashi, aonori or bonito flakes?
Use cool water plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce for the dashi, finely crumbled nori for aonori and omit bonito if necessary. The pancake will still work, though the specialty ingredients provide the most recognizable Japanese flavor.
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Osaka-Style Pork Okonomiyaki with Cabbage & Bonito
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1. Mix the quick okonomiyaki sauceWhisk the ketchup, Worcestershire, oyster sauce and honey in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer the mayonnaise to a squeeze bottle or snip a tiny corner from a zip-top bag so the photographed thin white stripes are easy to make.
2. Make a light batterWhisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the dashi and eggs and whisk only until no dry flour remains; a few small lumps are better than an overmixed, tough pancake.
3. Fold in the cabbageAdd the shredded cabbage, scallions and tenkasu to the batter. Fold with a flexible spatula until every strand is lightly coated. The mixture should look mostly like cabbage held together by a thin batter, not pourable pancake batter.
4. Shape the first pancakeHeat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Spoon half the cabbage mixture into the skillet and shape it into an even 7-inch round about 1 inch thick. Do not press it flat. Arrange half the pork slices in one layer across the top.
5. Cook the first sideCover and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until the underside is deeply golden and the cabbage begins to soften. Slide a wide spatula underneath to confirm the pancake releases cleanly before attempting to flip.
6. Flip and cook the pork sideSet a dinner plate over the skillet, invert the pancake onto it, then slide it back into the skillet pork-side down. Cover and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Uncover and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until the pork is browned and reaches at least 145°F and the center of the pancake feels set rather than wet.
7. Repeat without crowdingTransfer the first pancake to a warm plate. Wipe out any dark crumbs, add the remaining tablespoon oil and repeat with the remaining cabbage mixture and pork. Keep the first pancake warm in a 200°F oven if desired.
8. Glaze and garnishBrush each hot pancake generously with okonomiyaki sauce. Pipe mayonnaise in narrow parallel stripes, sprinkle with aonori and finish with bonito flakes so the heat makes them flutter. Serve the pickled ginger alongside, matching the photographed glossy brown, white and green finish.
9. Slice and serveCut each pancake into four wedges and serve two wedges per person while the edges are crisp. Provide extra sauce and pickled ginger at the table rather than soaking the cut surfaces in advance.