Name: Nikujaga-Style Pork Sauté
Cuisine: 和食
Ingredients: Pork collar steaks (for sautéing); Potatoes; Snow peas; Salt; Sugar; Sake; Soy sauce; Vegetable oil; Black pepper

About "Nikujaga-Style Pork Sauté"

This Nikujaga-Style Pork Sauté is a creative reimagining of the classic Japanese meat and potato stew. By seasoning pork collar with salt and sugar, the water-retaining effect of sugar makes the meat incredibly tender and juicy. Using the fluffy potato (kobukimo) technique allows the potatoes to absorb flavor quickly, while boiling the snow peas in the same pot saves time and energy, making this a quick and eco-friendly dish.

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Tips for Making "Nikujaga-Style Pork Sauté"

Prep
- Skip scoring the meat; instead, pound and flatten the thick fatty parts with the back or tip of a knife to ensure even cooking.
Seasoning
- After salting, coat the meat with sugar (about three times the amount of salt) until lightly white, and let it rest for 10–15 minutes (or overnight in the fridge for best results).
Role of Sugar
- Sugar acts as a water-retaining agent to keep the meat tender and helps the subsequent sweet-savory seasonings adhere better.
Searing
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels and sear without oil, using the pork's natural fat. Do not touch until browned, then press the fatty edges against the pan to crisp them up.
Side Dish
- Boil potatoes starting from cold salted water, and add snow peas to the same pot to save time. Drain the snow peas in a colander to cool naturally without shocking in ice water.
Flavoring
- Drain the potatoes, add sugar, sake, and soy sauce to the same pot, and simmer while gently stirring until they become fluffy and absorb the glaze.
Finishing
- Reheat the pork in the pan with its resting juices, slice into bite-sized pieces, plate next to the potatoes, and finish with black pepper.

Ingredients for "Nikujaga-Style Pork Sauté"

9 items

* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon

Porkcollar steaks (for sautéing)
Potatoes
Snowpeas
Salt
Sugar
Sake
Soysauce
Vegetableoil
Blackpepper

How to Make "Nikujaga-Style Pork Sauté"

1
Pound and flatten the thick fatty parts of the pork collar steaks using the back or tip of a knife.
2
Sprinkle salt lightly over the entire surface of the meat.
3
Coat the meat with sugar (about three times the amount of salt used) until lightly white, and gently rub it in by hand.
4
Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes to absorb (or rest in the refrigerator for a day if time permits).
5
Put water, potatoes, and a pinch of salt in a pot, and bring to a boil to cook the potatoes.
6
While boiling, string the snow peas, then add them to the same pot to boil together.
7
Once cooked, drain the snow peas in a colander and let them cool naturally (do not shock in ice water).
8
While the snow peas are still hot, season them with a pinch of salt and sugar.
9
Pat the pork dry with paper towels to remove any moisture that has drawn out.
10
Place the pork in a preheated pan without oil, and let it sear without touching until a nice crust forms on one side.
11
Flip the meat over and sear the other side.
12
Hold the meat upright with tongs and press the fatty edges against the pan to render and crisp them up.
13
Transfer the pork to a tray and let it rest in a warm place to cook through with residual heat.
14
Drain the boiled potatoes, then add sugar, sake, and soy sauce to the same pot and place it over heat.
15
Gently stir with a wooden spatula and simmer until the potato surfaces slightly crumble and absorb the seasonings, creating a fluffy texture.
16
Return the rested pork to the pan containing the meat juices, pour in any juices from the tray, and reheat gently.
17
Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces, arrange them on a plate next to the fluffy potatoes, and garnish with the snow peas.
18
Sprinkle black pepper over the fluffy potatoes to finish.

Food Science

Why This Dish Tastes So Good

Curing the pork with salt and sugar controls moisture through osmotic pressure, drawing out excess water to concentrate the umami while utilizing sugar's water-retaining properties to keep the meat tender. Searing the surface and fatty edges in the pan triggers the Maillard reaction, developing rich, savory flavors. Finally, resting the meat allows it to cook through gently with residual heat, preventing muscle fibers from contracting excessively and preserving its juiciness.

Moisture ControlTemperature & Heating Reactions

Detailed Commentary on "Nikujaga-Style Pork Sauté"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

No Scoring Needed? A New Way to Prep Pork

The second dish proposed by Masahiro Kasahara is Nikujaga-Style Pork Sauté, a creative reimagining of the classic Japanese home-cooked dish, Nikujaga. The star ingredient is a thick cut of pork collar. Chef Kasahara explains, 'I used to score the meat to cut the connective tissue, but I feel like doing so lets the delicious juices escape.' Instead of scoring, he gently pounds and flattens the thick fatty parts—which are prone to shrinking and uneven cooking—using the back or tip of a knife. This simple step prevents the meat from curling up while keeping it incredibly juicy. To finish the prep, he lightly sprinkles salt over the entire surface to build a solid flavor base.

The Magic of Sugar for Ultra-Tender Meat

After salting, Chef Kasahara reaches for sugar, prompting a surprised 'Wait, you're putting sugar on it?' from Chef Rokusaburo Michiba. Kasahara explains that sugar has a water-retaining effect that locks in moisture, making the meat incredibly tender while helping the sweet and savory seasonings adhere better later. He uses about three times as much sugar as salt, coating the meat until it looks lightly white and gently rubbing it in. While you might worry it will end up too sweet, this is the secret to a perfect finish. Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes to absorb. If you have time, letting it cure in the refrigerator for a full day makes the pork even more moist and tender.

Pro Tips for Efficient Side Dish Prep

The side of potatoes is boiled starting from cold water. He places the potatoes in a pot with water and a pinch of salt. While they boil, a heartwarming collaboration unfolds as Chef Michiba helps string the snow peas. Chef Kasahara is passionate about minimizing cleanup and pot usage at home, so he tosses the snow peas right into the same boiling pot with the potatoes. Once cooked, instead of shocking them in ice water to preserve their color, he drains them in a colander to cool naturally (*oka-age*). This prevents them from becoming watery and highlights their natural sweetness. A hidden Kasahara-style trick is to toss them with a pinch of salt and sugar while they are still hot.

How to Sear Pork to Lock in Flavor

Since the sugar-and-salt cure draws out moisture, be sure to pat the pork dry with paper towels right before cooking. Place the meat in a preheated pan without adding oil, relying instead on the pork's natural fat. The golden rule for a perfect sear is 'do not touch it' until a nice crust forms. Wait patiently to keep the pan hot, and flip once one side is beautifully browned. Once both sides are seared, use tongs to stand the meat upright and press the fatty edges against the pan to render and crisp them. Transfer the pork to a tray and let it rest in a warm place to finish cooking gently with residual heat. Keep the flavorful pan as-is without washing it for the final step.

Quick Fluffy Potatoes Packed with Flavor

After draining the boiled potatoes, season them right in the same pot. Add sugar, sake, and soy sauce, then return to the heat to reduce the liquid while coating the potatoes. Gently stir with a wooden spatula until the outer layer of the potatoes slightly crumbles and absorbs the seasonings, creating a fluffy potato (kobukimo) texture. While traditional Nikujaga requires slow simmering to infuse flavor, this method seasons the potatoes thoroughly in a fraction of the time. The combination of the sweet-savory glaze clinging to the fluffy, hot potatoes is so delicious it could easily stand alone as its own side dish.

Tasting: High Praise for the New Nikujaga

To finish, return the rested pork to the pan containing the meat juices, pour in any juices from the tray, and reheat gently. Cut the warm pork into bite-sized pieces, arrange them next to the fluffy potatoes, and garnish with the snow peas. Finish by dusting the potatoes with black pepper to sharpen the flavor. During the tasting, Chef Michiba praised the tenderness achieved by the sugar cure, saying, 'The meat is incredibly tender. Even at my age, I can eat this easily.' His granddaughter, Natsuki, smiled and added, 'It's lighter than traditional Nikujaga, but the hearty pork makes it so satisfying.' Chef Michiba was also deeply impressed by Kasahara's efficient one-pot boiling method, jokingly remarking, 'It's so eco-friendly and wonderful, you deserve an award from the Ministry of the Environment!'

About 鉄人の台所

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