So while in Japan discovering katsuobushi, I thought, why don't people do this with pork. Of course David Chang beat me to it. But then I went and read the article (easily found online) and thought, why did they start the mold immediately? And why use koji mold? I thought it would work much better with a kind of ham. So I got two pork loins, cured with salt. sugar, instacure #1, sage and pepper, for a week in the fridge. Then cold smoked about 3 hours over oak. Then dehydrated a full week in an electric dehydrator. Shaved on the kezuriki and dropped into water at the boiling point, removed from the heat, for 5 minutes, with kombu. The result is amazingly like dashi, with the same huge mouthfeel and aftertaste. Smoky, but beautifully clear. I may just have to write a paper about this one! Maybe serve with pulled noodles, greens and a pork meatball I think.
