This Japanese Ginger Pork Recipe is big on flavour, and takes less than 30 minutes to make. It’s usually made with thin slices of pork, but this version uses pork loin steaks to make it easier, because who doesn’t love an easy dinner!
If you’re a fan of ginger like me, and are looking for a tasty Japanese recipe for pork, it’s highly likely you’re gonna enjoy this dish. It’s not complicated – it’s just soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar and grated ginger. That’s it, oh, and some sliced white onion!
I live in the UK so finding thin slices of meat is kinda tricky. Yes I could go to a butchers, but it’s difficult to find someone able (or willing) to help me out. I could freeze it for 30 minutes then slice, but sometimes I don’t have the time or energy.
When I was testing this recipe I thought “how can I make this easier and more accessible to people short on time, energy or butchers?”. That’s when I thought to try this recipe with pork loin steaks, now it’s one of my favourite easy Japanese recipes on my website.
What is Shogayaki?
Shogayaki is two words – so shoga means ginger, and yaki means grilled/fried. The most common variation of the dish uses thinly sliced pork but any protein can be used.
Shogayaki is easily one of the most iconic Japanese recipes for pork and is a firm favourite in Japanese households. It’s one of these very simple recipes which can help people save time, without loosing out on flavour.
Ingredients for Japanese Ginger Pork
- 1/2 a white onion
- 4 pork loin steaks
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
Depending on personal preference, you can add extra ginger for a stronger flavour or lower the amount for a more subtle taste.
Nutritional Information of Japanese Ginger Pork (per steak)
- Calories: 234 kcal
- Fat: 10.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.9 g
- Sugars: 5.9 g
- Fibre: 0.9 g
- Protein: 25.3 g
- Salt: 1.1 g
Nutrition information is an estimate generated using Cronometer and is intended for guidance only.
What to eat with Japanese Ginger Pork?
The pork steaks already have a lot of flavour so it’s often served with a simple bowl of Japanese rice, and a bowl of Tofu Miso Soup. Some people will top it off with extra ginger for a more intense flavour.
If you want more easy Japanese recipes then this Japanese “Fried” Chicken Rice bowl might be worth taking a look at. It’s inspired by Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) but without the hassle of deep fat frying! Here’s a video if you want to see what it’s about.
3 Tips for Making This Recipe
- Dust the pork with plain flour. It’s not necessary but if you lightly dust the steak with plain flour it can help keep the pork juicy inside.
- Tenderise the pork. To tenderise, lightly pound the steak using a meat mallet or the back of a knife (be careful).
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. If you overcrowd the pan, the temperature will drop quickly and it’ll be difficult to get a good colour on the pork.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can definitely use other types of potatoes! Cooking time will vary depending on the variety but this dish is very versatile.
Sake adds a subtle flavour to the dish, though it does give the dish an authentic flavour, it is not essential and can be replaced with water.
Japanese Ginger Pork (Shogayaki)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1/2 sliced white onion
- 4 pork loin steaks
Sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
Instructions
- Combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Add about half a tablespoon of neutral oil to a frying pan and fry the pork steaks on high heat for 3 minutes, flipping half way.
- Transfer the pork steaks to a plate and lower the heat.
- Add the sliced onions to the same pan and fry until translucent around the edges.
- Add the sauce mixture into the pan, along with the pork loin steaks and cook for a couple more minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
