When I first moved to Japan one of the first things I wanted to learn was how to cook hearty homestyle Japanese meals, but I didn’t really know where to start. Learning how to make rice in a rice cooker was one thing, but making full meals was another. After a lot of trial and error, and learning more about Japanese ingredients, I’ve finally found my footing and I’m hoping these simple weekday recipes will fill your cooking needs and your stomach.
Pork Kimchi Stir Fry
Buta Kimchi stir fry or 豚キムチ炒め is essentially stir-fried pork with kimchi, although there are many variations, most all include the same typical ingredients. I suggest, if you haven’t already found your favorite kimchi, to first find one that aligns with you and the spicy level you desire, mostly because making this dish with a vegetable or ingredient you don’t like would be counterintuitive.
Ingredients
- 150 grams of thinly sliced boneless pork rib or buta bara (豚バラ), cut into 3 cm pieces
- 150 grams of kimchi
- 2 green peppers, sliced into strips
- 1 long green onion, cut into 4 cm pieces
- 1 tbs of potato starch
- 1 tbs of vegetable oil
- A pinch of salt and pepper
Sauce Ingredients
- ½ tbs of water
- 1 tbs of mirin
- ⅔ tbs of miso
- ½ tsp of soy sauce
Directions
- Coat the pork in the potato starch and season with salt and pepper, in a separate bowl mix sauce ingredients and set aside
- Heat the oil in a large fry pan on medium and add the pork
- Cook the pork on both sides until slightly browned and then add the green peppers and onion, saute until the onion softens, and then add the kimchi
- Add the sauce to the pan and continue to cook until the sauce evaporates to your liking
- Serve with rice and greens of your choice
Salty Ginger Chicken and Bell Pepper Stir Fry
This delicious stir-fry is a fun way to jazz up your week. Salty stir-fry or 塩炒め (shio itame) is a staple in Japanese homestyle cooking and is often used in dishes with various vegetables as well as with meat like in this recipe. The added salt will help balance out your body and a helping of the chicken thigh will keep you energized for the upcoming week.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken thigh or momo niku (もも肉), trim the fat, and cut into 3-4 cm pieces
- ¼ tsp of salt
- 1 tbs of cooking sake
- 1 red bell pepper cut into 2 cm pieces
- 2 green bell peppers cut into 2 cm pieces
- 1 tbs of minced garlic
- ½ tbs of potato starch
- 1 tbs vegetable oil
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tbs cooking sake
- 1 tbs of water
- 1 tsp of light sesame oil
- ½ tsp of salt
- ½ tsp of sugar
- ½ tsp of potato starch
- A pinch of pepper
Directions
- Soak and rub the chicken in the ¼ tsp of salt and 1 tbs of cooking sake in a small bowl for a few minutes and then add the potato starch to the mixture
- In a small separate bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside
- Heat ½ tbs of vegetable oil in a medium to large skillet on medium heat, add the coated chicken to the pan, and cook to completion, remove the chicken from the pan and then wipe pan clean with a paper towel
- Heat the remaining 1 tbs of the vegetable oil on medium heat in the same pan and add the green and red bell peppers to the pan, cook for a few minutes then lower the heat and add the minced ginger to the mixture and continue to saute
- Add the chicken back into the pan, once the peppers have softened mix in the sauce ingredients and cook for a few minutes, once the sauce has completely coated the chicken and bell peppers your dish is ready to serve
Ginger Pork with a Twist
Even if you’ve only lived in Japan for a little while, you’ve probably already come across ginger pork, or shogayaki (生姜焼き). Traditionally ginger pork is served with a sweet-savory sauce made from a mixture of sake, mirin, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. My version has all of those delicious ingredients but to make it even better, this recipe’s sauce includes apple jam! The apple jam creates a unique blend that will delight the tastebuds and have your family and friends begging for the recipe. It’s up to you if you want to share it or not.
Ingredients
- 200-250g or 6 slices of pork shoulder roast or 豚肩ロース (buta kata rosu)
- A pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 tbs of vegetable oil
- 1-2 tbs of flour
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tbs of minced ginger or ginger paste
- 2-3 tbs of apple jam
- 2 tbs of mirin
- 1½ tbs of soy sauce
- 1 tbs of water
- 1-2 tbs of minced ginger
Directions
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside
- Add 1 tbs of oil to a large skillet on medium heat, meanwhile, coat the pork in flour on both sides, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then add the pieces to the heated skillet
- Cook the pork 90% through on both sides and remove the pieces from the pan and rest on a spare plate
- Add the mixed sauce ingredients to the same skillet and cook on medium-low heat, once the sauce begins to steam and bubble, add the pork pieces back into the pan
- Cook the pork for a minute on each side or until the pieces are completely coated in the sauce
- Remove the pork from the pan and serve with shredded cabbage, spoon the sauce on the pork for extra flavor
