Japanese · Quick Meals

Pork Shogayaki

Thin pork loin fried fast and finished in a ginger, soy and mirin sauce that reduces to a glaze in under a minute. The most common weeknight pork dish in Japan.

25 min total Serves 4 servings Easy
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Pork Shogayaki

Photograph credit: Ginger pork lunch of Yoshinoya by 毒島みるく · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Making Pork Shogayaki

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  1. Whisk the soy, mirin, sake, sugar, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the ginger together.

  2. Score the fat edge of each pork slice in two or three places so it does not curl in the pan.

  3. Toss the pork with 2 tablespoons of the sauce and leave 10 minutes, no longer — the acid starts to firm the meat.

  4. Shred the cabbage as finely as you can and soak it in iced water for 10 minutes, then drain and spin dry.

  5. Lift the pork out and dust it lightly with the flour, shaking off the excess.

  6. Heat the oil in a wide pan over high heat and fry the pork in a single layer for 90 seconds a side until browned. Work in two batches.

  7. Remove the pork, add the onion, and fry 3 minutes until softened at the edges.

  8. Return the pork, pour in the remaining sauce, and let it bubble for 60 to 90 seconds until it thickens and coats everything.

  9. Take off the heat, stir in the last tablespoon of ginger, and serve immediately on a bed of the cold shredded cabbage with rice alongside.

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Tips for Making Pork Shogayaki

  • Score the fat edge. Unscored pork loin curls into a cup and cooks unevenly.
  • Half the ginger goes in at the end. That late hit is where the aroma comes from.
  • The iced cabbage is not garnish — the cold crunch against the hot glaze is the point of the plate.

Swaps and Variations

  • If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.
  • An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Serving Suggestions

  • Steamed rice and miso soup
  • A cold lager
  • Pickles

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Japanese Milk Bread (Shokupan), Nasu Dengaku.

Leftovers and Storage

Refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat quickly in a hot pan; the glaze tightens and can be loosened with a splash of water.

Pork Shogayaki Nutrition Facts

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: an ingredient listed without an amount is not counted, so the figures run low; part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. The calories include 1 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.

317Calories
28gProtein
18gCarbs
14gFat
2gFibre
12gSugar
760mgSodium

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Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.

First published ; last changed .