Recipe - Ginger Pork

I've got no picture for this post as I had gobbled up the food before remembering to take a photo of the dish. This dish is simple yet filled with flavour. It goes well with either rice or porridge.

Ginger Pork

Adapted from Your Japanese Kitchen 2 by Harumi Kurihara

In Harumi's recipe, the meat is grilled but I stir-fried instead with the marinate making it quite a 'saucy' dish. The sauce is wonder to be drizzled over freshly steamed rice. Harumi also suggested for the shredded cabbage to be submerged in water with ice for the cabbage to be extra crisp. Indeed, the cabbage has the extra crunch when one bites into it. A great contrast to the tender meat.

Ingredients (serves 4)

 400 g sliced pork shoulder loin (I used tenderloin instead)

1-2 tbsp grated ginger# (I minced the ginger finely due to lack of a grater)

6 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp mirin

vegetable oil (I used canola) - for frying

shredded cabbage - to serve (at the side or base)

shredded shiso* or basil - to serve (I omitted this as I could not find them in the grocer)

Method

1. Soak the cabbage in iced water to make it crisp. Drain and mix with the shiso. Make sure that all water is removed from the cabbage, a salad spinner will do a great job in this instance. Chill in the refrigerator as you prepare the meat.
2. Combine the soy sauce, mirin, and grated ginger. Marinate the pork in the mixture for a few minutes.
3. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over high heat. Quickly brown the pork slices. You may use a grill if you have one. 
4. Put the shredded vegetables on a plate. Arrange the pork on top.

*Japanese name for Perilla 

#The ginger removed all the 'porky' smell from the pork. It works really well as I am a person who does not eat pork very frequently as I do not like the strong 'porky' smell.

Hope you will enjoy this recipe!