Ingredients
3/4 cup dashi, plus more if necessary
1 teaspoon mirin
1 pinch granulated sugar
1 cup cake or all-purpose flour
6 very thin slices pork belly (about 5 ounces), see Tips
Salt
3 ounces green cabbage (from about 1/4 small head)
3 Japanese green onions or scallions
5 tablespoons neutral oil
Tenkasu (tempura crisps), to taste (optional; see Tips)
Bean sprouts, to taste
2 portions fresh yakisoba noodles (about 5 1/2 ounces each)
2 eggs
Okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie brand), to taste (see Tips)
Bonito flakes and aonori powder (green seaweed powder), for serving (see Tips)
Directions
1
In a medium bowl, combine the dashi, mirin and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Add the flour and mix until smooth. Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
2
While the batter is chilling, lightly salt the pork belly strips and set aside. Very thinly slice the cabbage (you’ll need about 1 cup). Mince 1 green onion, then thinly slice the others and set aside.
3
Remove the chilled batter from the fridge. (The batter should be slightly thinner than pancake batter. If it seems too thick, stir in another teaspoon dashi.) Heat a large griddle or medium skillet over medium-high. Once hot (a drop of water should sizzle and skitter across the top), add 1 tablespoon oil, then add about ¼ cup of batter, spreading with the back of the ladle or measuring cup to about 6 inches in diameter.
4
Once the pancake’s edges begin to sizzle, about 2 minutes, top the pancake with half of the cabbage and minced green onion, then tenkasu and bean sprouts to taste.
5
Set 3 slices pork belly atop the pancake, without covering one another. Then pour a small amount of batter (1 to 2 tablespoons) over the top of the pork belly and, using a wide spatula, quickly flip the pancake over, pork side down. Tuck any stray pieces of vegetables underneath and shift the pancake to one side of the griddle. Allow the meat to cook through, adjusting the heat to avoid burning the pancake, 1 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pork.
6
On the other side of the griddle, or in a second skillet heated over medium-high, add 1 tablespoon oil. Untangle 1 portion of Yakisoba noodles, and stir fry until coated with oil, about 1 minute. Season noodles with okonomiyaki sauce to taste (or about 2 tablespoons), stirring and tossing to coat.
7
Form the noodles into a circular shape roughly the size of your pancake. Then flip the okonomiyaki on top of the yakisoba, setting the pancake side (not the pork belly side) onto the noodles. Reform the okonomiyaki into a clean circle.
8
In the now freed griddle or pan space, add 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil, then add one egg, using a spatula to break the yolk and spread the egg into a circular shape roughly the size of your pancake. Slide the okonomiyaki atop the egg. Flip the okonomiyaki over so that the egg side is up, and remove from heat.
9
Transfer to a plate and cover with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, a pinch of bonito flakes, a pinch of aonori powder and sliced green onion. Serve okonomiyaki immediately upon completion. To make the second okonomiyaki, wipe out the griddle or pans and repeat with remaining ingredients.
Notes
Asian markets often sell frozen packages of pre-sliced pork belly. Alternatively, ask your butcher to slice a piece of pork belly for you, preferably 1/16- to ⅛-inch thick. If you prefer to slice your own, freeze your pork until very firm (at least 1 hour) for cleaner slices.