Pork and Ponzu Spice Curry, made with SN1 🐖

Light enough to keep going back for more, like buta-shabu with ponzu — a gentle, Japanese-leaning plate 🍛🐖.

SPICE CURRY SPICE PACK (Spice Curry Spice Pack Symphony No.1 / SN1) — a pork and ponzu spice curry.

Buta-shabu is a fine thing. Thin slices of pork passed briefly through water at about 76°C, dipped in ponzu (citrus-soy sauce), and eaten with condiments.

We wondered whether that flavour could be brought into harmony with a spiced broth, and this recipe is the result. If you love a fresh, sharp note, it is well worth making.

Ingredients (serves 4)　　

• SN1 / starter spices (the whole-spice sachet): 1 sachet
• SN1 / powder spices (the ground-spice sachet): 1 sachet
• Onion: 1
• Naganegi (Japanese long onion): as needed
• Tinned tomatoes: 1 tin (400g)
• Garlic: 2 tsp (about 1–2 cloves)
• Ginger: 2 tsp
• Thin-cut pork offcuts 🐖: 200g
• Ponzu (citrus-soy sauce): 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce: 1 tsp
• Mirin (sweet rice seasoning): 2 tsp
• Sugar: 2 tsp
• Salt: 1 tsp
• Black sesame oil: 3 tbsp
• Water: 200ml
  
  

Preparation

• Chop the garlic finely.
• Work the grated ginger and a little salt into the pork.
• Chop the onion finely.
• Cut the naganegi however you like, to serve.

Method

1. Put the “black sesame oil: 3 tbsp” into a pan over a low heat, and once the oil is warm, add the “starter spices (the whole-spice sachet)”.
   
   
2. When you hear the “mustard seeds (the small black ones)” start to crackle, add the “garlic” and fry for about 30 seconds, stirring it through the spices.
   
   
3. Add the “onion”, stir it thoroughly through the spices, then turn the heat to high and cook properly for about 12 minutes, adding a splash of water as you go, until it is deep golden brown.
   
   
4. Once the onion is deep golden brown, add the “pork” and fry it in.
   
   
5. When the meat is cooked through, add all of the “powder spices” and stir them in.
   
   
6. Turn the heat down low, push the ingredients to one side, add the “tinned tomatoes: 1 tin (400g)” into the space, crush the whole tomatoes down to a paste, then stir everything together.
   
   
7. Add the “ponzu: 1 tbsp”, mirin: 2 tsp, soy sauce: 1 tsp, sugar: 2 tsp and water: 200ml, stir it together, turn the heat to medium and bring it to the boil.
   
   
8. Once it comes to the boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes.
   
   
9. Adjust the salt, plate it up with the cut naganegi and it is done.
   
   

It has a Japanese character to it, so it goes well with Japanese condiments and side dishes. And in this recipe the naganegi is the quiet lead — pile it on.

What was served with it here

• Chopped naganegi (there is only a modest amount in the photograph, but a great deal more went on afterwards, for the crunch)
• Boiled egg
• Takana (pickled mustard greens) — I am rather taken with takana and spice curry at the moment, and it suits this Japanese-leaning plate perfectly

Inspice spice curry spice sets contain none of the usual sources of heat — chilli, cayenne pepper or chilli powder — so please add heat to your own taste.