Shrimp and Pork Belly Negiyaki
If using pork belly, lay the slices across the pancake once you pour the batter in the pan.
Tag: Japanese
Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes; 2 Ways
Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes; 2 Ways
These purple sweet potatoes are something special. In Japan, they are known as satsumaimo. The interior is a light creamy white that turns yellow after cooking. There are 2 ways to roast them in the oven. At 325° for 70-90 minutes, the sweet potato has a sweet cake-like texture. At 375° for 50-60 minutes, they are cheesecake-like with a crispy outside. Either way, eating these sweet potatoes is like eating a dessert.
Equipment
- foil
Ingredients
- Japanese sweet potatoes
- butter for serving
Instructions
- Prick your sweet potatoes with a fork on all sides.
- Wrap them in aluminum foil. Put in a cold oven at either at 325° for 70-90 minutes or at 375° for 50-60 minutes.
Miso Marinated Pork Belly
Miso Marinated Pork Belly
In Japan, misozuke refers to the marinade being miso-based, as opposed to kasuzuke being a sake-based marinade. The natural enzymes in the miso help break down the tissue in meat, helping to tenderize. For the protein, I used thinly sliced pieces of pork belly, but you could also use thin sliced pork loin. For optimal flavor, the pork should be marinated for at least 1 day, but no more than two. There are several approaches to can go about cooking the pork. The best in my opinion is to either grill or broil. You could even pan fry the pork if you wanted. Since the pork is so thin, it will take only a couple of minutes a side to cook. My pork belly took about 4 minutes a side. Serve the pork misozuke as an appetizer or as your main course over steamed rice with a side salad to help balance out the richness.
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork belly sliced 1/4” thick or less
- 2 oz miso paste
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Garnish
- green onions chopped
Instructions
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients.
- Marinate the pork belly in the miso marinade for 1 day.
- Preheat your broiler. Lay the pork belly on a rack on a baking sheet lined in foil.
- Broil for 4 minutes a side. Alternatively, you can grill the pork belly over charcoal or gas for the same amount of time.
Tuna Tataki with Ponzu Sauce
Tuna Tataki with Ponzu Sauce
You’ve probably had tuna tataki as an appetizer at whatever sushi restaurant you dine at. You end up paying $10 for a couple of slices of tuna. You can easily make twice the amount of tuna tataki at home for a fraction of the price and still have it be restaurant quality.The most important thing in making tuna tataki is to have the highest sushi grade possible. You can find it fresh at most higher end grocery stores and fish markets. I found a nice piece of sashimi grade yellowfin cut into a rectangular block that was vacuum sealed and frozen at my local Asian for about $13lb. It was better quality than what I expected. With a block that size, I was able to cut 4 equal rectangular bricks out of the loin. The tuna gets seasoned on the 4 long sides with sea salt and cracked pepper. Make sure to let the tuna rest at room temp for 30 minutes before cooking.When ready to cook, heat up some cooking oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Place one of the loins in the pan, searing for no more than 20 seconds. Then cook the other 3 sides for 20 seconds each. I literally count to 20 out loud because the cooking process goes by quick. The goal is to have an 1/8” sear around the entire block. Then let the loin cool completely before slicing. Slice the loin into 1/4” slices. I arranged the tataki on a plate and spooned over some homemade ponzu sauce, which is a Japanese citrus soy sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and you’ll have one of the best and easiest to prepare appetizers that will impress many a dinner guest.
Ingredients
- 8 oz sashimi grade yellowfin tuna
- sea salt
- cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Ponzu Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 0.2 oz bonito flakes 1 packet
- 2”x3” kombu
Garnish
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix all of the ponzu ingredients together. Let sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Strain the ponzu sauce. Set aside.
- Let tuna sit at room temp for 30 minutes before preparing.
- Cut the tuna loin in half, then cut 2 equally sized blocks out of the loin. The piece of tuna I had was 1lb, and I only needed half of it. I vacuum sealed what I wasn’t going to use and froze down.
- Season the tuna with sea salt and cracked pepper on the 4 long sides, leaving the two short square sides unseasoned.
- Heat up vegetable oil in a small nonstick skillet over high heat; almost to the point where the oil begins to smoke. Place one of the tuna blocks in the center of the skillet, searing for no more than 20 seconds.
- Flip over to the next side and sear for 20 seconds.
- Flip to the next side and sear for 20 seconds. Flip onto the 4th side and sear for a final 20 seconds.
- Let the tuna rest for a minute or two. You don’t want to cut the tuna when it is still hot.
- Slice the tuna no more than a 1/4” thick.
