Cabbage & Pork “Millefeuille” Donabe

Thinly sliced pork and napa cabbage layered like a millefeuille, then gently simmered in a donabe until tender and juicy.

As it cooks, the cabbage and pork release their own liquid — blending into a naturally sweet, flavourful broth. This comforting Japanese-style one-pot is perfect for the whole family — soft textures for toddlers, deep flavour for grown-ups.

Japanese Millefeuille Hotpot (Napa Cabbage & Pork Donabe)

Ingredients:

• ½ head napa cabbage, washed and trimmed

• 300g thinly sliced pork shoulder or pork belly (shabu shabu slices)

• 2 cups dashi broth (see alternatives below)

• 1 tbsp sake (optional)

• 1 tsp soy sauce or shoyu koji (adjust to taste)

• 1 tsp mirin (optional)

• Optional: sliced shiitake or enoki mushrooms

• Optional: a knob of ginger or a piece of kombu in the broth

• For serving: rice, ponzu, yuzu kosho, or sesame dipping sauce

📌 For toddlers, you can skip sake and soy sauce, and season individual portions at the table.

Instructions:

1. Prepare the cabbage & pork
   Cut the napa cabbage leaves into halves or thirds to match the length of the pork slices.

2. Layer the millefeuille
   Stack: cabbage leaf → pork slice → cabbage → pork, repeating until you have a layered stack. Cut the stack into 3–4 segments and stand them upright in your donabe (or any heavy-bottomed pot), like a book standing up.

3. Fill the pot
   Continue stacking and arranging layers snugly until the pot is full. Add mushrooms in between if using.

4. Add broth
   Pour in the dashi broth, sake, soy sauce/shoyu koji, and mirin. Liquid should reach halfway up the layers. Add kombu or ginger if using.

5. Simmer gently
   Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, until the cabbage is soft and pork is fully cooked. The layers should collapse slightly into a tender, juicy millefeuille.

6. Serve
   Scoop out layers and serve over rice, with dipping sauce on the side. For toddlers, spoon a portion into a bowl and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Broth Substitutes:

• Dashi alternative: 2 cups water + 1 tsp onion koji

• Quick veggie broth: water simmered with mushroom stems, carrot peel, and kombu

• No koji? Use a low-sodium vegetable bouillon cube or ½ tsp salt + dash of soy

Note for Toddlers:

This dish is naturally soft and easy to chew. Suitable from 10 months+ if meat is thin and tender. For younger toddlers, serve with broth and rice, and cut pork into small pieces. Omit alcohol and soy from the pot if desired.

Ingredients:

Shabu pork slices and napa cabbage are available at Citysuper, AEON, or Japanese grocers like Don Don Donki.