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Home ► Recipes ► Japanese (Traditional)

Miso Shōgayaki (Miso Ginger Pork)

Updated: 10.29.23 | Marc Matsumoto | 36 Comments

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Shōgayaki (生姜焼き), a staple of Japanese home-cooking, is made by grilling pork chops marinated in a fragrant ginger miso sauce.
Recipe
A plate of Miso Shogayaki served with finely shredded cabbage and a bowl of short grain rice.

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

Miso Shōgayaki (Miso Ginger Pork)

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Yield 2 servings

Units

Ingredients 

  • 330 grams pork chops (¼ to ⅓ inch thick)
  • 4 tablespoons sake
  • 3 tablespoons miso
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (peeled and grated about 20 grams)

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.
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Nutrition Facts

Calories • 395kcalCarbohydrates • 20gProtein • 38gFat • 13gSaturated Fat • 4gCholesterol • 110mgSodium • 1031mgPotassium • 669mgFiber • 1gSugar • 13gCalcium • 26mgIron • 1.5mg

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Marc Matsumoto says

    June 21, 2015 at 2:19 am

    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.

    Reply
  2. Lindsey says

    June 21, 2015 at 2:03 am

    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

    Reply
  3. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 02, 2015 at 1:06 am

    Hi Nick, have a look through the site. You can also search for soba or tofu using the search box at the top.

    Reply
  4. nick brown says

    May 01, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    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!

    Reply
  5. channonmelissa says

    March 25, 2015 at 2:11 am

    you called. It wasn't good at all. I just crave tempeh sometimes and enjoy using it on occasion, but this wasn't "it".

    Reply
  6. Paula says

    March 03, 2015 at 8:26 pm

    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!

    Reply
  7. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 26, 2015 at 5:30 am

    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.

    Reply
  8. Paula says

    February 26, 2015 at 2:15 am

    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!

    Reply
  9. channonmelissa says

    February 21, 2015 at 2:40 am

    great idea! Thank you so much. Going to go do it right now 🙂

    Reply
  10. samnmini says

    February 20, 2015 at 8:30 pm

    Thank you, Marc. I may just give the vodka solution a try. It seems to offer the longest storage period.

    Reply
  11. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 17, 2015 at 7:42 am

    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.

    Reply
  12. Isabel says

    February 17, 2015 at 6:51 am

    Can I use mirin instead of sake and just cut down on the sugar?

    Reply
  13. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 17, 2015 at 1:35 am

    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.

    Reply
  14. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 17, 2015 at 1:33 am

    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.

    Reply
  15. channonmelissa says

    February 17, 2015 at 12:03 am

    This looks wonderful. I think I want to use it on some tempeh I have. Do you have any suggestions for cooking tempeh?

    Reply
  16. The Fair Kitchen says

    February 16, 2015 at 8:55 am

    Wow. A mouth-watering recipe. I like it how you tackled the steps one and clear at a time. Yum!

    Reply
  17. samnmini says

    February 15, 2015 at 9:18 pm

    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.

    Reply
  18. Rach says

    November 20, 2013 at 6:31 am

    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!

    Reply
  19. Yogicfoodie says

    September 03, 2013 at 12:35 am

    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!

    Reply
  20. Takawolffie says

    January 28, 2012 at 4:02 am

    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?

    Reply
  21. Marc Matsumoto says

    November 03, 2011 at 10:25 pm

    Yep, it's cheek meat.

    Reply
  22. Thomas Abraham says

    November 03, 2011 at 8:14 pm

    Looks like cheek meat.

    Reply
  23. Mary says

    June 09, 2009 at 2:10 pm

    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.

    Reply
  24. Rasa Malaysia says

    October 26, 2008 at 7:09 pm

    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. 😉

    Reply
  25. Darius T. Williams says

    October 24, 2008 at 12:47 am

    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

    Reply
  26. Darius T. Williams says

    October 24, 2008 at 12:47 am

    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

    Reply
  27. diva says

    October 23, 2008 at 10:30 pm

    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.

    Reply
  28. Jessie says

    October 22, 2008 at 4:35 pm

    Oh my goodness, that pork is making me drool (both in cooked and raw form)! Looks amazing.

    +Jessie
    a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse

    Reply
  29. Jan says

    October 22, 2008 at 4:25 pm

    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.

    Reply
  30. Heather says

    October 22, 2008 at 3:20 pm

    That kurobuta is goooooooorgeeeoooouuus. I'd take this over a Japadog any day. 😛

    Reply
  31. [eatingclub vancouver] js says

    October 22, 2008 at 4:54 am

    Delicious! I'd have to scrounge around for Kurobata pork (not readily available in my usual haunts), but I love the spicing here.

    Reply
  32. manggy says

    October 22, 2008 at 4:39 am

    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!

    Reply
  33. Christie @ fig&cherry says

    October 22, 2008 at 3:35 am

    Mmmmmmm, fantastic!

    Reply
  34. Laura @ Hungry and Frozen says

    October 22, 2008 at 3:04 am

    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.

    Reply
  35. Peter G says

    October 22, 2008 at 2:44 am

    Kurobuta pork is really the best...love the treatment here Marc. Perfect pairing of Japanese spices with this beautiful pork.

    Reply
  36. Kevin (Closet Cooking) says

    October 22, 2008 at 2:33 am

    That looks tasty! I like the use of the gochujang.

    Reply
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