If you have time, make homemade chicken stock (see ID:17830899 on cookpad.com) for extra flavor. Chicken stock is inexpensive, but if you’re short on time, using bouillon is fine too.

Slice the konnyaku into thin pieces (about 3/16 inch or 4–5 mm thick) and blanch in boiling water.

Combine all the ingredients marked with * in a separate bowl. For a miso base, add miso first and adjust with soy sauce to taste. For a soy sauce base, skip the miso and add about 1/2 teaspoon salt along with the soy sauce, tasting as you go.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the motsu (intestines). Boil briefly until it comes back to a boil, then drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to remove any scum. Don’t over-rinse, as you want to keep some of the flavorful fat.

Add the dashi and chicken stock to a pot, then add the sliced garlic and motsu. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and gradually add the * sauce mixture from step 4, tasting as you go. Make the flavor a little stronger than you want for the finished dish.