Chi-irichi (Okinawan Pork Blood Stir-Braise)

Quick answer

Total time: 65 min
Level: Hard
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 12

About this dish

Chi-irichi is an Okinawan stir-braise made by loosening licensed food-grade pig blood with red miso, then cooking it with seasoned pork belly, dried daikon, fish cake, lard, and pork stock until nearly dry and crumbly.

It was served for occasions such as the old New Year and memorial rites and reflects Ryukyuan whole-animal cookery. Only commercially pasteurized blood intended for cooking should be used, never blood collected at home, and the mixture must be heated through. Okinawan long pepper adds a warm, aromatic finish to the rich savory base.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
pasteurized food-grade pig blood	200	g
pork belly	100	g
sugar	1	tsp
soy sauce	1	tbsp
sake	0.5	tbsp
dried shredded daikon	50	g
kamaboko fish cake	20	g
red miso	1	tbsp
salt	0.25	tsp
lard	2	tbsp
pork stock	200	ml
Okinawan long pepper	0.5	tsp

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Confirm the blood is sealed, refrigerated, pasteurized, food-grade product and keep it at 4C or below until use.

Separate its utensils from other foods and wash hands and tools with detergent afterward.
2

Control

Boil the pork belly whole for 15 minutes and cut into 5mm strips.

Simmer it with sugar, soy sauce, and sake over medium heat for 4 minutes to season.
3

Heat

Boil 50g dried daikon for 8 minutes until soft, rinse under cold water, squeeze firmly, and cut to 3cm.

Slice 20g kamaboko into 4mm strips.
4

Prep

Blend 200g pig blood with 1 tablespoon red miso for 20 seconds until smooth.

Mix with the dried daikon in a large bowl until every strand is evenly coated.
5

Control

Melt 2 tablespoons lard in a heavy pan over medium-high heat.

Add the blood-daikon mixture and stir constantly with several chopsticks for 6 minutes, breaking it into brown crumbs with no red liquid visible.
6

Finish

Add seasoned pork with its liquid and 200ml pork stock, then stir-braise over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add kamaboko for 2 minutes, verify at least 74C in the center, and finish with salt and long pepper.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Licensed pasteurized food-grade blood
Finish cue: Boil 50g dried daikon for 8 minutes until soft, rinse under cold water, squeeze firmly, and cut to 3cm.
Storage and reheating: Buy a licensed pasteurized product cold and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.