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Butadon (Obihiro grilled pork rice bowl)
豚丼 · Hokkaido-style pork slices grilled and glazed in sweet soy
Butadon was invented in Obihiro, on the Tokachi plain of eastern Hokkaido, as a cheap, filling lunch for farmers clearing the land, and today the town's shops still grill thick slices of pork loin over charcoal and lay them overlapping on rice like roof tiles. The glaze is a sweet-salty mix of soy, sugar, mirin and sake that is boiled down so the alcohol cooks off; water and extra sugar make an alcohol-free version. A griddle pan or hot grill gives the smoky edges. The common mistake is slicing the pork too thin: about 5 mm keeps it juicy. Pork must reach 71 °C in the middle with no pink juices. Chef's tip: snip the fat edge so the slices stay flat, and dip them in the glaze twice in the pan for a lacquered finish.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz pork loin or shoulderin 5 mm slices, fat edge snipped
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
For the glaze
To serve
- 1 spring onion (optional)finely sliced
- 1 pinch sansho pepper (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 2: Heat a griddle or frying pan with 1 tsp vegetable oil over a medium-high heat. Cook 10 ½ oz pork loin or shoulder in a single layer for 2–3 minutes a side until browned with crisp edges and no pink inside (160°F).
6 minStep 3: Turn the heat down, pour in half the glaze and toss the pork until coated and sticky.
1 minStep 4: Brush 14 oz hot cooked Japanese short-grain rice with a spoonful of the remaining glaze, lay the pork slices on top overlapping, and spoon over the rest. Scatter with 1 spring onion and 1 pinch sansho pepper.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 700 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 96 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does butadon (Obihiro grilled pork rice bowl) take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of hot cooked japanese short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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