Shōgayaki (Japanese Ginger Pork) – Easy and Delicious Home-Style Recipe | Cook with Bean JP
The next dish I’m cooking in this series is Japanese Ginger Pork (Shōgayaki) — a simple, quick, and incredibly satisfying home-style meal that goes perfectly with rice.
I often make this dish on busy days when my shift starts around 11 or 12 p.m. It’s one of those easy “cook-and-go” meals — quick to prepare, delicious, and guaranteed to make you finish at least two bowls of rice before heading to work!
Below is my recipe along with a few personal notes and small tips I’ve learned while making it. Hope you’ll give it a try in your own kitchen too. 🍱
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- 4-6 thin slices of pork loin (about 250-300 g)
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sake
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp ginger juice (grate fresh ginger and squeeze to extract the juice)
For garnish:
- Shredded cabbage
- Thinly sliced red onion (optional)
👩🍳 Instructions
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, sake, mirin, and ginger juice.
- Prepare the pork: Make a few small cuts along the edges of the pork slices to prevent curling when cooked.
- Marinate: Place the pork in the sauce and let it marinate for about 5 minutes. (Do not marinate too long or the meat will become tough.)
- Cook the pork: Heat sesame oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat (中強火). Cook the pork slices on both sides until they start to brown.
- Add the sauce: Pour the remaining sauce into the pan. Lower the heat to medium (中火) and simmer for 1–2 minutes, turning the pork a few times until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the meat evenly.
- Serve: Arrange the pork on a plate with shredded cabbage and red onion. Pour the remaining sauce from the pan over the top.
🔥 Cooking Tips for Shōgayaki
- Start with medium-high heat (中強火): Begin cooking the pork on medium-high heat to sear the surface quickly. This helps the meat stay juicy inside while getting a nice golden color outside.
- Then lower to medium heat (中火): When adding the sauce, reduce the heat to medium. The sauce contains mirin and sake, which can burn easily. Simmer gently to let the sauce thicken and coat the pork evenly.
- Don’t overcook: Once the sauce turns glossy and slightly sticky, turn off the heat immediately. Overcooking will make the pork tough and dry.
📝 Bean JP’s Personal Notes
In my version of Shōgayaki, I made a few small adjustments to suit my personal taste:
- I skipped the red onion garnish and used finely chopped cabbage only.
- After pan-frying the pork, I added chopped onion and green chili together with the sauce in Step 5.
- Stir-frying everything quickly brings out a spicy aroma and gentle heat, making the dish especially appealing to Vietnamese or anyone who enjoys a light kick of spice.
The combination of sweet-savory sauce, tender pork, and a touch of chili heat creates a perfectly balanced flavor that pairs beautifully with steamed rice. 🍚
🍚 Serving Suggestion
Serve with hot steamed rice, miso soup, and a small side of Japanese pickles for a complete home-style meal.
A drizzle of lemon juice or a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds adds a refreshing touch!
🍳 Check out more recipes in the series Cook with Bean JP and learn to make authentic Japanese home dishes every day!
