By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 6
205 cal · 60 min
Dashi-Simmered Eel with Pork Belly
Recipe GLPR69a21d32bcab1b
A traditional Japanese broth-based dish featuring tender eel and rich pork belly simmered in delicate dashi stock with soy sauce, mirin, and fresh ginger. The eel is cleanly prepared and combined with rendered pork to create a deeply flavorful, umami-rich main course that reflects Japanese comfort cooking traditions.
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Ingredients
1 live eel, about 10 ounces
1/2 pound pork shoulder with skin and fat
1 1/2 cups dashi stock
4 tablespoons Japanese-style soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 green onions, cut into 1-inch segments
3 thin slices fresh ginger
Directions
Prepare the live eel by humanely stunning and immediately bleeding it. Clean the eel under cold running water, removing the slimy exterior by rubbing with coarse salt and rinsing thoroughly. Using a sharp knife, carefully slit the belly and remove all internal organs, then rinse again until clean. Pat the eel dry and cut it into 2-inch pieces.
Cut the pork shoulder into 2-inch chunks, keeping the skin and fat attached to each piece.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the pork pieces for 3-4 minutes to remove excess impurities. Drain and rinse under cold water, then pat dry.
In a clean pot, combine the dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin, salt, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Add the blanched pork pieces and ginger slices to the simmering broth. Return to a gentle simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, allowing the pork to become tender and the fat to render slightly.
Add the prepared eel pieces to the pot and continue simmering for another 12-15 minutes, until the eel is fully cooked through and tender. The eel should reach an internal temperature of 145°F.
Stir in the green onion segments and simmer for 1-2 minutes just until they begin to soften slightly.
Divide the eel, pork, and broth evenly among 6 bowls. Serve hot, ensuring each portion includes both proteins and a generous amount of the flavorful cooking liquid.
Comments
Eel is a hard stop at Charlotte supermarkets; you'll need to visit a Japanese market or specialty seafood counter, and pork shoulder, while available everywhere, is a less tender cut than the belly the title promises. Dashi, mirin, and ginger are findable at Harris Teeter or Kroger's Asian section, but expect to pay $12–15 for the eel alone, pushing the per-serving cost above $3 before sides. The 60-minute window is honest if you buy pre-made dashi, but building it from scratch adds another hour; this is a deliberate weekend project, not a weeknight dinner. The braise itself is hands-off and reheats beautifully, but the ingredient sourcing and specialty-shop requirement make it a commitment for a one-off craving rather than a weekday staple.
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