No37 [Cooking] Ginger Pork

Ginger Pork

My mother used to cook this dish and I loved it. It is a popular dish served in set-menu lunches around Japanese business districts, as well as home cooking fare, and thus a nostalgic comfort food for many. Pork belly is a relatively cheap cut, but when cooked properly they are so tender and tasty. If cooked for long enough, the pork fat melts away and intensifies the flavour. After all, the fat is where most of the umami is, so let’s make use of it for this real treat. I was delighted to find out that thinly sliced pork belly is now a permanent fixture on the major supermarket shelves, so it can be cooked straight from the pack. To make it really special, add a generous portion of fresh ginger that you have grated yourself.

Ingredients :
Serves 2
● 200g Pork Belly Slices
● 1 Medium Onion
● Handful of Lambs Lettuce
● 1 Spring Onion
● 1 tsp Yutaka White Sesame Seeds
● 2 tsp Plain Flour
● 2 tsp Grated Ginger
● 3 tsp Yutaka Cooking Sake
● 3 tsp Yutaka Reduced Salt Soy Sauce
● 3 tsp Yutaka Mirin Seasoning

❶ Thinly slice the onion and cook it in a microwave for 1 minute at 600-800w before putting it aside. Make the sauce by mixing the sake, soy sauce and mirin in a small bowl and set aside. Next, coat the pork all over with plain flour.
❷ Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook the pork without oil over a small to medium heat. Turn occasionally and make sure the pieces are cooked thoroughly. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the pork.
❸ Add the onions and ginger. Reduce the heat and pour on the sauce, then continue cooking until the sauce has reduced and becomes slightly sticky. Stir fry the ingredients to avoid burning.
❹ Serve immediately on a bed of lambs lettuce with finely chopped spring onions and sesame seeds on top.