- 300 g (10.6oz) pork sliced thinly to 2-3mm (⅛") thick (note 1)
- 2 tsp sake (Japanese rice wine)
- 1 tsp ginger juice (squeeze juice out of grated ginger)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 160 g (5.6oz) shredded cabbage
- 4 cherry tomatoes
- 6 broccoli florets
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(this step is optional) Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut the connecting tissue (the tissue separating red meat and fat) embedded in the meat. This will prevent the meat from curing when cooked.
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Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of sake and 1 teaspoon of ginger juice over the pork slices, coat well and leave for 10 minutes. This will tenderise the meat and removes meaty smell.
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Mix ginger sauce ingredients in a bowl.
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Heat oil in a non-stick (preferred) frypan over medium high heat.
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Place the meat in the frypan without overlapping (cook in batches if required) and cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the bottom side is golden and the edges start to cook.
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Turn it over and cook further 1-2 minutes. If cooking in batches, transfer the cooked meat onto a plate and cook the remaining meat.
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Reduce the heat to medium. Return all the cooked meat to the frypan and add the ginger sauce to the pan.
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Cook for about 15-30 seconds, turning the pork slices over to ensure the meat is coated with the sauce. When the sauce is reduced to about 1-2 tablespoons (note 3), turn the heat off.
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Place the vegetables on one side of the plate. Place pork slices and pour the sauce in the frypan over the pork.
1. I used pork neck (also called pork collar, collar butt, scotch fillet) )because I like the way the meat curls slightly allowing more sauce to coat the pork. I bought a block and sliced it thinly for this recipe.
You can also use pork loin if you like. Make sure that you cut the connecting tissue (the tissue separating red meat and the band of fat on the edge) at 2-3cm (1”) intervals.
You could also cut the pork slices into smaller sizes.
2. Shredded cabbage is always served with shogayaki. Often, it is just cabbage. But I thought tomatoes and broccoli would add colours to the plate. You can of course vary the accompanying vegetables.
3. The amount of sauce reduction is up to your preference. When I made this, I had about 1 tablespoon left. I felt that the sauce was a bit strong for my liking but some people might find it just right. Hence the amount of reduction is given as a range.
4. Ginger pork is great for a bento box (Japanese style lunch box) as it goes extremely well with rice. It is still great even if eaten at room temperature.
A simple lunch box menu can be: rice, ginger pork with shredded cabbage, boiled green vegetables such as broccoli or Spinach Ohitashi salad. If you have an instant miso soup, that’ll make a perfect lunch pack!