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Tonpeiyaki
とん平焼き: crisp pork belly and cabbage wrapped in a thin omelette, zigzagged with sauce and mayo
Tonpeiyaki is an Osaka teppan-bar favourite, said to have been created at a counter in Kitashinchi and now on the menu of almost every okonomiyaki shop from Tenma's covered arcades to Dōtonbori. It is a quick late-evening plate: thin slices of pork belly fried crisp with a handful of cabbage, then folded into a soft omelette and finished with sweet-savoury okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. It is ready in minutes and tastes of bacon, egg and smoky caramel. Chef's tip: lay the pork slices flat and leave them alone for the first two minutes so the fat renders and they turn properly crisp.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz pork bellyvery thinly sliced, cut into 5 cm pieces
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 ½ oz white cabbagefinely shredded
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
To finish
- 3 tbsp okonomiyaki sauce
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 tsp aonori (green laver flakes) (optional)
- 1 tbsp bonito flakes (optional)
- 1 spring onion (optional)thinly sliced
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Season 5 ½ oz pork belly with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
1 minStep 2: Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat with ½ tbsp vegetable oil. Fry the pork flat for 2 minutes, then turn and cook for 2–3 minutes more, until browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through with no pink (160°F).
5 minStep 3: Add 3 ½ oz white cabbage and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until just wilted but still bright. Tip onto a plate and wipe the pan.
2 minStep 4: Beat 4 eggs well. Return the pan to a medium-low heat with ½ tbsp vegetable oil, pour in half the egg and swirl into a thin 20 cm omelette.
1 minStep 5: When the edges are set but the top is still glossy, spoon half of the pork and cabbage into the middle and fold the two sides over it. Common mistake: cooking the egg on a high heat; it browns and tears before you can fold it.
2 minStep 6: Cook for 1 minute more, until the egg is fully set underneath, then roll it seam-side down onto a plate. Repeat with the rest.
3 minStep 7: Zigzag 3 tbsp okonomiyaki sauce and 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise over each omelette and scatter with 1 tsp aonori (green laver flakes), 1 tbsp bonito flakes and 1 spring onion if using. Serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tonpeiyaki take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 8 minutes to prepare and 12 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 white cabbage?
- Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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