Ingredients

(for medium-size Classic-style Donabe) – 3-4 servings

1 tablespoon  sesame oil

1 small head  shallot, minced

2 cloves  garlic, minced

1 tablespoon  minced ginger

¾ pound  ground pork

1 tablespoon  tobanjan (hot bean paste)

2 tablespoons  miso

1 teaspoon  raw brown sugar

1 cup  dashi stock or chicken stock

18-20 oz  soft or medium tofu, drained of excess moisture and cut into cubes

3 tablespoons  sake

1-1.5 tablespoons  soy sauce

½ teaspoon  ground Szechwan pepper or black pepper

½ tablespoon  katakuriko (potato starch)

1 tablespoon  water

Minced scallion

Sansho pepper (Japanese mountain pepper)

Procedure

1. 1.Sauté the shallot, garlic, and ginger in sesame oil in the donabe over medium+ heat until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
   

2. 2.Add the pork and continue to sauté until the meat is almost cooked through.
   

3. 3.Push the meat to one side and add the tobanjan paste to the open side of the donabe.  Stir the tobanjan until fragrant before stirring together with the meat.
   

4. 4.Add the miso and sugar and stir until the ingredients are well blended with the meat.
   

5. 5.Add the stock and the tofu.  Increase the heat to medium-high.  As soon as the stock starts to boil, turn down the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes.
   

6. 6.Combine the sake, soy sauce, and ground pepper and add to the tofu mixture in the donabe.  Stir.
   

7. 7.Dissolve the katakuriko in water, and stir in to the tofu mixture in donabe.
   

8. 8.Turn off the heat and serve with the minced scallion and some ground sansho pepper as condiments.