Much of the praise for Japanese cuisine would be more accurately directed toward Aspergillus oryzae, a mold, otherwise known by its local moniker: kōji.
Kōji is so widely ingrained in Japan’s food traditions, used in everything from sake brewing to soy sauce fermentation, that I find myself asking, as Michael Pollan did in “The Botany of Desire,” whether the Japanese cultivated kōji on purpose, or whether kōji insinuated itself into our lives, beguiling our taste buds and charming our cravings?
Even if you’re unfamiliar with kōji by name, chances are you’ve been consuming it for a while. If, however, you’re ready to jump down the rabbit hole and start experimenting with kōji, this recipe shows you how to use it as part of a dry rub, with herbs and spices for flavor and a tiny amount of baking soda to make the outside more alkaline to encourage browning. In conjunction with moisture absorption by our kōji, this means no searing is necessary before our pork enters the oven.
For an ultimate deep dive, I highly recommend attending Kojicon, a virtual conference in its fourth year that attracts over 1,000 enthusiasts from upward of 60 countries worldwide. Hosted by Yellow Farmhouse Education Center and curated by Rich Shih, co-author of “Koji Alchemy,” from Feb. 19 to Mar. 3, Kojicon brings together the world’s foremost mold-based fermentation experts for two weeks of livestreamed seminars. Presenters include brewers, chefs, scientists, Noma alumni and many more, with Japanese presenters such as sake brewer Marika Tazawa, fermentation tourism director Hiraku Ogura and eighth-generation miso and tamari producer Takashi Sato. the ‘kōji’ rabbit hole
1. A day before roasting, trim any loose meat or particularly thick areas of fat from your pork shoulder (save your offcuts for later). Roll and shape the pork into a roughly uniform cylinder, then tie it up with the butcher’s twine.
2. In a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the kōji with sea salt, then mix with your paprika, thyme and baking soda, then rub evenly over the meat. Set on a rack uncovered to lightly dry overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius with a large Dutch oven or heavy frying pan inside. Once hot, place your meat on the top rack. Throw any trimmings from the day before into the Dutch oven or pan.
4. Roast for 15 minutes at this temperature, then reduce the heat to 180 C for a further 50 minutes. Optionally, halfway through the cooking process, parboiled potatoes may be added to the Dutch oven to roast in any rendered drippings. After 50 minutes, cover and let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
5. Serve with your favorite vegetables or salad. Any leftovers are great for sandwiches, bentos or sliced on top of ramen at home.
Much of the praise for Japanese cuisine would be more accurately directed toward Aspergillus oryzae, a mold, otherwise known by its local moniker: kōji.
Kōji is so widely ingrained in Japan’s food traditions, used in everything from sake brewing to soy sauce fermentation, that I find myself asking, as Michael Pollan did in “The Botany of Desire,” whether the Japanese cultivated kōji on purpose, or whether kōji insinuated itself into our lives, beguiling our taste buds and charming our cravings?Even if you’re unfamiliar with kōji by name, chances are you’ve been consuming it for a while. If, however, you’re ready to jump down the rabbit hole and start experimenting with kōji, this recipe shows you how to use it as part of a dry rub, with herbs and spices for flavor and a tiny amount of baking soda to make the outside more alkaline to encourage browning. In conjunction with moisture absorption by our kōji, this means no searing is necessary before our pork enters the oven.