My Shogayaki Brings All The Boys To The Yard

(You know you have that song in your head now.) Shogayaki: The go to dish that most middle aged salary men will say they’ll order when their wife gives them 500 yen for lunch. It’s such a simple dish that I’m surprised when my husband requests it for dinner. It basically takes a few ingredients and hardly any prep time. Well, venture below to see how I make it.

Aside from the rice, miso soup, seasoned tofu block in the background and lettuce on the plate, shogayaki is basically ginger pork. If you have ginger, soy sauce and pork you can make shogayaki. Everything else is extra and not 100% necessary.

Ingredients

Sliced Pork Loin or Pork Belly 1/2 lb

Ginger (Fresh Minced or Tube) 2 tbs

Soy Sauce 1/3 c

White Onion (Not Necessary and Sliced) 1/2

Corn Starch (Not Necessary) 1 c

Mirin (Not Necessary) 1/3 c

Cooking Sake (Not Necessary) 2 tbs

Lettuce or Cabbage (Not Necessary and Shredded) 1 c

Ok, so my husband hates US pork and feels that, although it may be good, nothing made in the States with pork can compare to Japan. In some ways I agree but in other ways I am glad that US pork is not as fatty as Japan. That being said, if you want to make shogayaki as authentic as possible you need to get the fattiest cut of pork you can and slice the meat thinly. You can then dredge the pork slices in the corn starch before frying in a tsp of oil on the stove. You don’t want to deep fry it and you don’t need to dredge it if you don’t want to or don’t have corn starch. I often times forget to and my husband doesn’t really miss it.

Once you throw the pork slices in the pan you can add the mirin and sake and let the alcohol evaporate. If you are going to be using onion, you can add that at this time too. Cook at a high heat until the meat is cooked and the onions become translucent. Before you add the soy sauce and ginger turn the heat down to medium or low. Let the meat absorb the juices from the soy sauce and ginger while you prepare the lettuce or cabbage shreds which you will lay the meat and sauces on when you plate.

I’m not sure why Japanese restaurants like to add this bit of greenery to the dish. Maybe it’s to make it feel healthier. Anyway, after the lettuce or cabbage has been shredded, go ahead and plate the meat and juices right on top. Again, sticking with authenticity, add a dollop of Kewpie mayonnaise which will take you straight to any Japanese cafe or restaurant at lunch time. Just making it in the house transports me to my earlier days, sans the cigarette smoke and iced coffee.

Make anyone fall in love with you with this authentic dish, even my kids love it! And, as always, お召し上がれ！

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