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Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

Japanese Pork and Cabbage with Ponzu Sauce

Published: Aug 23, 2024 | Modified: Jul 1, 2025 By Ryo Hikita | Leave a Comment

Japanese Pork and Cabbage with Ponzu Sauce is a delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make dish. The combination of pork belly, green cabbage or napa cabbage, and ponzu sauce is a perfect match.

↓ Step-by-Step Recipe  

Japanese Pork and Cabbage with Ponzu Sauce
Jump to:
  • What is Japanese Pork and Cabbage with Ponzu Sauce?
  • Why pork and cabbage work well together
  • Choosing the right cut of pork
  • Choosing between green and napa cabbage
  • Optional add-ins
  • 📋Step-by-step recipe
  • Repurposing leftover cooking liquid
  • More recipes you'll probably love
  • Recipe card

What is Japanese Pork and Cabbage with Ponzu Sauce?

Japanese Pork and Cabbage with Ponzu Sauce is a dish in which pork and cabbage are steamed together in a pan and then seasoned with ponzu sauce. Steaming brings out the natural flavors of the ingredients, and the addition of ponzu creates a well-balanced, harmonious taste. It is a great option when you want to prepare a nutritious meal with minimal ingredients and effort—all in a single pan.

The combination of pork, cabbage, and ponzu sauce works beautifully and is commonly featured in various recipes in Japan. Additionally, this dish is a great way to use up leftover cabbage and any extra ponzu you might have on hand.

Japanese Pork and Cabbage with Ponzu Sauce

Why pork and cabbage work well together

There are several reasons why pork and cabbage are often used together.

In terms of flavor, pork has a savory, umami-rich taste, while cabbage offers a subtle sweetness and a crunchy texture. Cooking them together enhances the dish’s sweetness and texture without overpowering the flavor of the pork. Cabbage, infused with the pork’s flavor, creates a delightful balance of richness and sweetness.

Additionally, from a nutritional standpoint, pork and cabbage complement each other well. Pork is rich in iron and vitamin B1, while cabbage is high in vitamin C and dietary fiber. Vitamin C promotes iron absorption and supports the function of vitamin B1, while dietary fiber can help reduce fat absorption and aid digestion—making this combination especially beneficial.

Choosing the right cut of pork

Pork has different flavors depending on the cut, but for this dish, a fattier cut is preferable—specifically, pork belly is an excellent choice. While you can use leaner cuts, fattier ones pair better with ponzu sauce, as their richness complements the sauce and helps balance the flavors.

No matter which cut you choose, be sure to use thin slices. This improves the overall texture when combined with cabbage.

Choosing between green and napa cabbage

This recipe uses green cabbage, which is readily available, but napa cabbage is also a great option.

Napa cabbage has thicker leaves and a more distinctive flavor than green cabbage, and when cooked with pork, its taste really shines through. If it is available in your area, definitely give it a try—you will enjoy the dish with a different flavor compared to when it is made with green cabbage.

Optional add-ins

You can enjoy this dish by adding a few extra ingredients besides pork and cabbage. Ingredients like carrots, bean sprouts, and mushrooms work well. However, keep in mind that pork and cabbage are the main ingredients, so try not to go overboard with the extras.

Japanese Pork and Cabbage with Ponzu Sauce

📋Step-by-step recipe

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Ingredients

Servings: 2

US Customary - Metric
  • 7 oz thinly sliced pork belly
  • 0.66 lb green cabbage or napa cabbage
  • 1 green onion / scallion
  • 2 Tbsp sake
  • 4 Tbsp ponzu sauce (citrus-seasoned soy sauce)
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Instructions

🕒 Total: 15 mins mins
Japanese pork and cabbage with ponzu sauce_instruction-1

Step 1
Cut the pork into 4-inch (10 cm) pieces. Cut the cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the green onion.


Japanese pork and cabbage with ponzu sauce_instruction-2

Step 2
Place the cabbage in a pan and arrange the pork on top, overlapping as little as possible. Add sake over the pork and heat the pan. Once the pan is hot, cover it and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.


Japanese pork and cabbage with ponzu sauce_instruction-3

Step 3
Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Pour ponzu sauce over the pork and sprinkle with the green onions.


To store

You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Repurposing leftover cooking liquid

After enjoying the dish, you can discard the leftover cooking liquid, but adding cooked udon noodles—such as those thawed from frozen—can turn it into an extra treat. The ponzu sauce, infused with the flavors of pork and cabbage, pairs well with the noodles, so feel free to give it a try.

Japanese Pork and Cabbage with Ponzu Sauce

If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Please consider leaving a review and star rating in the comments below. If you enjoyed it, I’d really appreciate it if you shared it with your friends.

More recipes you'll probably love

  • Butabara Daikon (Japanese simmered pork belly and daikon radish)
  • Yamitsuki Cabbage (Addictive Japanese cabbage)
  • Torikawa Ponzu (Japanese chicken skin)

Recipe card

Japanese Pork and Cabbage with Ponzu Sauce

Japanese Pork and Cabbage with Ponzu Sauce

Japanese Pork and Cabbage with Ponzu Sauce is a delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make dish. The combination of pork belly, green cabbage or napa cabbage, and ponzu sauce is a perfect match.
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Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 4 minutes mins
Cook Time: 11 minutes mins
Total Time: 15 minutes mins
Servings: 2

Ingredients
 
 

  • 7 oz thinly sliced pork belly
  • 0.66 lb green cabbage or napa cabbage
  • 1 green onion / scallion
  • 2 Tbsp sake
  • 4 Tbsp ponzu sauce (citrus-seasoned soy sauce)
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
 

  • Cut the pork into 4-inch (10 cm) pieces. Cut the cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the green onion.
    Japanese pork and cabbage with ponzu sauce_instruction-1
  • Place the cabbage in a pan and arrange the pork on top, overlapping as little as possible. Add sake over the pork and heat the pan. Once the pan is hot, cover it and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
    Japanese pork and cabbage with ponzu sauce_instruction-2
  • Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Pour ponzu sauce over the pork and sprinkle with the green onions.
    Japanese pork and cabbage with ponzu sauce_instruction-3

Notes

  • You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 575.36kcal Carbohydrates: 11.59g Protein: 11.29g Fat: 52.76g Saturated Fat: 19.23g Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.64g Monounsaturated Fat: 24.54g Cholesterol: 71.44mg Sodium: 749.74mg Potassium: 456.86mg Fiber: 3.9g Sugar: 4.93g Vitamin A: 216.43IU Vitamin C: 56.21mg Calcium: 69.61mg Iron: 1.32mg
Author: Ryo Hikita (Umami Pot)
Cuisine: Japanese
Category: Main Dishes, Pork, Quick, Vegetable
Keyword: cabbage, ponzu, pork
Enjoyed this recipe?I’d really appreciate it if you shared it with your friends.

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Ryo-Hikita_UmamiPot

Welcome to Umami Pot!

I'm Ryo, a Japanese culinary expert living in Osaka, Japan. Here, I would like to share with you how to make Japanese dishes actually enjoyed in Japan, from traditional to modern, as clearly, concisely, and deliciously as possible.

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