With meetings in the city every day this week and a cold that doesn't seem to get the clue, I haven't exactly been looking forward to spending time in the kitchen. That's why I have tried and true standbys like this Shōgayaki to get me through the week.
Shōgayaki (生姜焼き), literally means "grilled with ginger" and is a super simple, fabulously flavorful way to prepare your favorite protein. In Japan, it's usually made with thin pork chops (I've used both rib and shoulder chops), but this marinade will work equally well with lamb chops, chicken thighs or even tofu.
Savory, aromatic, and pleasantly sweet, the marinade caramelizes around the outside of the meat, giving it a magical mahogany glaze that's redolent of ginger and earthy miso. But this pairing is about more than just harmonious flavors. The enzymes in both miso and ginger help tenderize meat. That's why this ginger pork is ready to cook in minutes rather than hours.
Because the pork chops are thin, it's important to cut slits into the meat to break up the connective tissue, otherwise the chops will curl as they fry making it difficult to cook evenly. Another option is to use thick cut pork chops. If you're using chicken thighs, you can skip the slitting, but you'll need to make sure it's filleted to an even thickness so it cooks evenly. You'll also want to start off with a cool pan , otherwise the marinade will burn before the chicken is cooked through. As for tofu, use a firm tofu and dry it thoroughly with paper towels before marinating it to keep the marinade from getting watery.
Serve with finely shredded cabbage and a bowl of Japanese short grain rice.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to slice shallow slits about ¼" apart in one direction all the way across one side of each piece of meat.
- Flip the cutlets over and make the same slits perpendicular to the directions of the slits on the first side. If you make the slits in the same direction you run the risk of cutting all the way through the meat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sake, miso, sugar and ginger to make the Shōgayaki sauce.
- Dip each piece of pork in the ginger miso marinade and place them on a tray. Pour any remaining marinade on top of the pork. Let this marinate as you prepare the rest of dinner. Five minutes should be plenty of time, but you can let it marinate overnight if you want.
- To fry simply heat a frying pan over medium-high heat until hot (but not smoking hot). Lightly oil your pan (if you're using a lean piece of pork or other meat you may need a bit more oil) and add the marinated pork chops in a single layer.
- Brown on one side, flip and brown the other side. Because the sweet marinade will burn easily If the pork starts to burn before it's cooked through, turn down the heat.
- Serve your Shōgayaki with steamed veggies, or shredded cabbage and rice.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Lindsey, I actually used both rib and shoulder chops. The shoulder is the one with more fat in it. It's going to be a bit more tough, but but if you do the slits with the knife it should not be a problem and the meat is more flavorful.
Lindsey says
Hi
This recipe looks amazing but i was wondering if it would become better or worse with a different cut if pork, specifically shoulder instead of the spinal area
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Nick, have a look through the site. You can also search for soba or tofu using the search box at the top.
nick brown says
Hello,
i enjoyed this recipe, just wondering if their were any other recipes that are as good as this one, possibly one that implements tofu and soba. Thanks!
channonmelissa says
you called. It wasn't good at all. I just crave tempeh sometimes and enjoy using it on occasion, but this wasn't "it".
Paula says
Hi Marc, Yep that is exactly my concern...I just don't want to add anymore oil. But you're right... It should render out more oil so that works for me 🙂 I'm excited to try both both of the recipes! Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Paula, I don't think you'd get the same caramelization on the outside of the meat by baking. You could try using the broiler with the rack in the top position. That should work for this recipe because the pork is relatively thin, but it won't work for the pork chop recipe because that one is relatively thick. What's your concern about pan-frying? If it about the oil, you hardly need to add any as the pork should render out some of it's own oil. If anything I think the high temperature of pan frying should render out more oil than baking it in the oven.
Paula says
Hi Marc!
Do you think I can bake this instead of frying? Also saw your "best pork chop" recipe and I was wondering if I can bake that as well... What temperature and for how long?
Thank you!
channonmelissa says
great idea! Thank you so much. Going to go do it right now 🙂
samnmini says
Thank you, Marc. I may just give the vodka solution a try. It seems to offer the longest storage period.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Isabel, you could probably replace all the sake with mirin and eliminate the sugar. But be sure you're using real mirin as many "mirins" contain high fructose corn syrup.
Isabel says
Can I use mirin instead of sake and just cut down on the sugar?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Channon, to be honest I've never been a big fan of tempeh as a meat substitute, so I haven't worked with it much, but the times I've enjoyed it the most, it's been fried until crisp around the edges. You could do something similar here, skipping the marination and then pan frying the tempeh before adding in the marinade and caramelizing around the outside of the tempeh.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi jadegreen_eyz, there are a couple routes you can take here. The first is to grate it before you freeze it. Then just put the grated ginger into an ice cube tray so you have tablespoon sized buttons of frozen ginger that can then be put into a freezer bag and stored until use. The second option is to peel the ginger and then put it in a jar and cover it with cheap vodka. The high proof alcohol will preserve the ginger indefinitely. The only drawback is that you won't be able to use the ginger raw since it will have a lot of alcohol in it. You'll also have some ginger flavored vodka you can then use in cocktails or marinades.
channonmelissa says
This looks wonderful. I think I want to use it on some tempeh I have. Do you have any suggestions for cooking tempeh?
The Fair Kitchen says
Wow. A mouth-watering recipe. I like it how you tackled the steps one and clear at a time. Yum!
samnmini says
Nothing compares to the "bite" and flavor you get from fresh ginger (non-existent in ground). I have a question on how to best store it. I buy small amounts, enough for about 3 recipes, and then end up having to freeze it to keep it from molding. However, I have noticed that the frozen version ends up soggy (more difficult to grate on my ceramic ginger grater). How to remedy this problem or is it just something I will have to live with? I've seen ginger in a tube at the supermarket.
Rach says
thanks for this delicious recipe! i've been making it over the years and it's a strike with the family everytime (: can't wait to have it again tomorrow using pork chops instead!
Yogicfoodie says
Thank you for wonderful dinner.
We all enjoyed it! I had to quadruple the quantity for three very hungry grown-ups, but it was super simple and all worth it!
Next one up... pandan wrapped roast pork!
Takawolffie says
Picked up some thinly sliced Kurobuta pork at my local asian market just to make this dish. I followed the recipe almost exactly and it was so delicious! Thanks for all the good ideas. The flavor was great! I am thinking this would be a great marinade for grilling?
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep, it's cheek meat.
Thomas Abraham says
Looks like cheek meat.
Mary says
I made this last night with thin slices of Berkshire pork. It was fabulous, and so easy. I've decided that this is now a regular dinner item.
Rasa Malaysia says
I have a huge crush on Japanese food now and wanted to cook more Japanese classics. Your pork looks heavenly. Drool.
OK, lunch time, off to make my chawanmushi. 😉
Darius T. Williams says
Wow - this is making me happy. I'm loving this pork and how it looks. I have a pork tenderloin in the freezer. I was gonna stuff it - but I think this would be waaaay more appropriate!
-DTW
http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com', '0
Darius T. Williams says
Wow - this is making me happy. I'm loving this pork and how it looks. I have a pork tenderloin in the freezer. I was gonna stuff it - but I think this would be waaaay more appropriate!
-DTW
http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com
diva says
i had kurobuta ramen a month ago..and the soup was just amazing. so rich and intense! this looks amazing and tht pork has a lovely colour.
Jessie says
Oh my goodness, that pork is making me drool (both in cooked and raw form)! Looks amazing.
+Jessie
a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse
Jan says
That pork looks and sounds absolutely stupendous. Of course, I can't get any of these ingredients here in the back waters of Oklahoma.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Heather says
That kurobuta is goooooooorgeeeoooouuus. I'd take this over a Japadog any day. 😛
[eatingclub vancouver] js says
Delicious! I'd have to scrounge around for Kurobata pork (not readily available in my usual haunts), but I love the spicing here.
manggy says
Thank you, Portugal! You've given Japan a great gift-- they do spicy really well 🙂 I didn't know gochujang's also a popular ingredient in Japanese food-- it looks and sounds perfect!
Christie @ fig&cherry says
Mmmmmmm, fantastic!
Laura @ Hungry and Frozen says
This sounds - and looks - lovely. I'm really getting in to using miso in cooking - I want to throw it into everything, even western dishes.
Peter G says
Kurobuta pork is really the best...love the treatment here Marc. Perfect pairing of Japanese spices with this beautiful pork.
Kevin (Closet Cooking) says
That looks tasty! I like the use of the gochujang.