Ginger Pork - Shogayaki

Today I experienced an incredibly busy day.  Work was busy, with many customers filing in through the doors.  An old and dear friend phoned me unexpectedly (but welcomingly). My mother popped in for coffee and then a late customer came who kept me after hours.

I finally arrived home, after stopping for a quick trip to the supermarket where I decided to cook an old Japanese dish, Shogayaki, which literally means grilled ginger pork.

I placed the pork fillet on the bench and started getting out the flavourings when I realised I had to return to the office to retrieve a phone number to give to my husband (for work).

So, in good humour, and now slippers, I drove back to the shop, looked for  the information needed and returned home.  By now it was 6:45pm and I needed to get home - quickly!
(By the way I didn't find the correct phone number needed at all.  I searched through day books, invoice books and contact lists but the number needed was nowhere to be found.  Isn't that the case when you desperately need something?)

Anyway ... I chopped vegetables for stir frying and placed fresh noodles to soften in a warm water bath.  Then I thinly sliced the pork fillet and put together the pork seasoning flavours and heated up the pans.

Shoga means ginger and yaki refers to frying or grilling in Japanese.

Make sure to season the pork on both sides with salt and pepper.

You can use chicken or beef but pork is the traditional choice for Shogayaki

Shogayaki (Ginger Pork) Recipe

• ½ 700g thinly-sliced pork loin

• ¼ onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 inch ginger (about 1 tsp finely chopped)

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 Tbsp. oil

• 2 spring onions, finely chopped

Seasonings

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce

• 2 Tbsp mirin

• 2 Tbsp sake

• 1 tsp. sugar

Mix together the onion, minced garlic, finely grated ginger with spring onions, then combine with soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar.
Thinly slice the pork fillet, season pork on both sides with salt and ground black pepper.

Heat up large pan to medium high, add 2 tablespoons oil and place pork slices in pan, cook for 1 minute, then turn over and cook 1 more minute.  Pour over combined seasonings, then take off heat and serve.

This is very quick to cook and serve, do not cook for too long as it can become tough.

I served this with stir fried vegetables and hokkien noodles dressed with a terayaki sauce.

By the way I didn't find the correct phone number needed at all.  I searched through day books, invoice books and contact lists but the number needed was nowhere to be found.  Isn't that the case when you desperately need something?

Buon appetitio, enjoy Merryn

Tell me, what is your favourite go - to dish when you are in a hurry to cook?