Buta no shōga yaki (panfried ginger pork) is one of the most popular and ubiquitous offerings at restaurants that serve teishoku (set meals). It's a particularly great meal during the hot, muggy and exhausting days of summer. The vitamins in pork, especially thiamine, or vitamin B1, are essential for various bodily functions, and ginger has traditionally been thought to encourage perspiration, which helps to cool down the body. Besides its purported health benefits, the thin slices of pork combined with the refreshing sweet and salty ginger sauce pairs really well with plain rice.
Although it's such a popular dish, ginger pork can turn out badly if you don't nail down a few points. One is choosing the right cut of meat. You may want to reduce the amount of fat by using a lean cut such as momo (rump). However, this meat can become rather tough when it's left for some time after cooking. Similarly, rōsu (loin), the cut most often sold pre-sliced for ginger pork, may stiffen up when left for a while after cooking. When you use ginger pork in a bento, for example, and want to avoid any chance of the pork becoming rather chewy, try using bara (belly). Although it is the fattiest cut, this will keep the meat tender even when it cools.
Another way to prevent the meat from toughening up is to slice it more thickly. The ideal thickness for ginger pork is around 3 to 4 millimeters, and scoring the meat against the grain will also help to tenderize it, as will coating it with a little cornstarch. The most important thing is to not overcook it. You only need to sear the meat lightly for a minute or so on each side before you combine it with the sauce. Do not cook the sauce for too long either or the fresh taste of the ginger will dissipate.
The most common accompaniment for ginger pork is shredded cabbage, but you can also serve it with sauteed vegetables, such as onion and peppers.
Serves 2
Prep time: 15 mins.
Cook time: 10 mins.
• 300 grams pork loin, rump or belly (thinly sliced)
• 3 tablespoons katakuriko potato starch or cornstarch
• 30 grams ginger
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¼ to ⅓ cabbage
• 6 to 10 cherry tomatoes
1. To make the sauce, grate the ginger and mix it with the sake, mirin and soy sauce, then set aside.
2. Finely shred the cabbage, then set aside.
3. Lightly score the surface of the pork against the grain. Sprinkle katakuriko potato starch or cornstarch on both sides.
4. Heat up a large frying pan with oil over medium heat. Add the pork and cook for one minute, then flip the meat and cook on the other side for another minute. The pork does not have to brown at this stage; a change in color is fine.
5. Remove the pork from the pan and wipe up any excess oil with paper towels. With the sauce from step 1, return the pork to the pan and cook for another 90 seconds. Turn the meat over and cook for another minute, coating each slice with the sauce. To check for doneness, cut through a slice — it should be cooked all the way through.
6. Serve the pork with a mound of shredded cabbage and some cherry tomatoes.
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