Shogayaki (ginger-fried pork)

In Japanese, ‘shogayaki’ means ‘ginger-fried’ and in this dish, the meat is first marinated in grated ginger, then pan-seared, and finally simmered in a sweet ginger soy sauce. While it’s most commonly made with pork, it can also be made with chicken or even beef. The slight saltiness pairs perfectly with a bowl of rice!

I used:

• 1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3/4 lb boneless pork loin (placed in the freezer for ~20 minutes and then sliced into ~1/4 inch thickness)
• pork tenderloin marinade:
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
  • 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated (~1/2 tbsp)
• ginger sauce, mix together:
  • 2 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 1/2 tsp sugar, more to taste
  • 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated (~1/2 tbsp)
• optional garnish: sesame seeds + scallions
• served with: thinly sliced cabbage, rice

To make:

• pop pork tenderloin into the freezer for ~15-20 minutes to slightly freeze (placing the meat in the freezer to allow it to harden slightly makes it a little easier to slice up!)
• thinly slice pork tenderloin and marinade for around 15 minutes
• heat up oil over medium heat and pan fry pork in a single layer until browned (this may require two batches depending on size of pan) and then flip and cook the other side ~1-2 minutes per side, adding more oil as needed
• remove pork from pan and heat up additional oil in pan, add onions in and sauté until translucent with a pinch of salt, ~2 minutes
• return meat to the pan, pour in the sauce and simmer for ~2-3 minutes until sauce thickens around the pork
• serve with rice + veggies of choice