Ashitibichi (Buta Ashi no Shiru) Pig’s Feet Soup

Mrs. Yasuko Takamine

Serves: 8

• 1 fore leg
• 1 hind leg
• 3 oz. nishime konbu
• 2 medium size daikon
• 2½ quarts (10 cups) water
• dash ground white pepper
• 2 tsp. hondashi
• ½ cup shoyu
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• ½ tsp. msg

Singe and broil feet until brown and burnt. Rinse under warm running water, scraping off charred areas. Cut into 2 x 2 inch pieces. Bring water to a rapid boil. Add large and bonier pieces first. Boil for half hour; add remaining pieces. Lower heat and cook for 1½-2 hours. Check if pork is done by using chopsticks or when meat pulls away from bone.

Place cooked pork in a sauce pan with shoyu and season little at a time, adding shoyu as needed. Strain stock. Add seasoning to stock, except pepper. Combine pork and daikon into clear stock and continue cooking until daikon is half done. Add knotted, cut konbu and finish cooking.

In a large individual soup bowl, place pork, daikon, konbu and pour soup stock over. Sprinkle pepper and serve.