Recipe
Chef's Recipe: Master This for Life! Miso & Sake Kasu Marinated Pork Loin! A healthy fermented recipe with rich sake lees. Great for meal prep and freezer-friendly!
Ingredients
- Porkloin chops (approx. 100g each x 3): 300g
- Grateddaikon radish: to taste
- Sakekasu (sake lees): 300g
- Water:1.5 tbsp (approx. 22.5cc)
- Misopaste: 120g
- Sugar:3 tbsp (approx. 30g) *adjust to taste
- Mirin:80cc
- Sake:50cc
- Soysauce: 1 tsp (approx. 5cc)
About "Miso and Sake Kasu Marinated Grilled Pork Loin"
This fermented dish features pork loin marinated for two full days in a rich blend of sake kasu (sake lees), miso, and mirin, then gently grilled over low heat. The enzymes in the sake kasu tenderize the meat fibers, creating a deep flavor profile where savory miso meets the rich, aromatic notes of sake lees. This recipe covers professional tips like scoring the meat and wiping off the marinade to prevent burning. It can also be frozen directly in the marinade, making it an incredibly convenient make-ahead meal.
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Tips for Making "Miso and Sake Kasu Marinated Grilled Pork Loin"
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Prep
- Sake kasu sheets are firm and hard to use as-is. Tear them into a bowl, drizzle with 1.5 tbsp of water, cover with wrap, and microwave at 500W for 2 minutes to soften them dramatically.
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Marinade
- Knead the sake kasu while warm until smooth before adding seasonings. Mix roughly with a spatula first, then switch to a whisk to easily create a smooth, lump-free paste.
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Seasoning
- Since miso saltiness varies, taste the marinade and adjust the sweetness with sugar until it tastes slightly sweet.
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Prep
- Score the tendons between the lean meat and fat on both sides of the pork loin. This prevents the meat from curling and ensures even cooking.
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Marinating
- Spread a thin layer of marinade in a container, arrange the pork, and cover generously with the rest. Press wrap directly onto the surface and marinate in the fridge for 2 full days (48 hours) for deep flavor.
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Prep before cooking
- Gently wipe off the marinade with chopsticks or paper towels before cooking to prevent burning. If marinated for only 1 day, leave a little on for better seasoning.
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Heat Control
- Start in a cold pan with oil, add the meat, turn on the heat, and cook on low heat from start to finish. Drizzle extra oil at the start to coat the meat, and rotate positions for even cooking.
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Storage
- Leftover marinade can be used for fish like salmon. The pork can be frozen directly in the marinade without losing quality.
Ingredients for "Miso and Sake Kasu Marinated Grilled Pork Loin"
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How to Make "Miso and Sake Kasu Marinated Grilled Pork Loin"
- 1
Tear the sake kasu into small pieces by hand, place them in a heatproof bowl, drizzle with 1.5 tbsp of water, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
- 2
Microwave at 500W for 2 minutes. While still warm, knead well with a wooden spatula or silicone spatula until it becomes a smooth paste.
- 3
Add 120g miso, 80cc mirin, 50cc sake, 3 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp soy sauce. Mix roughly with a silicone spatula, then switch to a whisk and blend until completely smooth and lump-free.
- 4
Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness with sugar until it tastes slightly sweet (an extra 1 tbsp of sugar was added here).
- 5
Using the tip of a knife, score the connective tissue (tendons) between the lean meat and fat on both sides of the pork loin chops (tendon cutting).
- 6
Spread a thin layer of the sake kasu miso marinade at the bottom of a container. Arrange the pork chops in a single layer without overlapping, and generously coat the top with the remaining marinade to cover completely.
- 7
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the meat to seal it, cover with a lid, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 full days (48 hours).
- 8
Remove the meat from the refrigerator and gently wipe off the excess marinade from the surface using chopsticks or paper towels.
- 9
Add 0.5 tbsp of oil to a cold frying pan, arrange the pork chops, and turn on the heat. Drizzle a little extra oil around the edges.
- 10
Cook slowly over low heat from start to finish, swapping the positions of the meat occasionally to ensure even cooking.
- 11
Once one side is nicely browned, flip them over and cook the other side over low heat. When both sides are browned and the meat is cooked through, it is done.
- 12
Plate the pork and serve with grated daikon radish on the side.
Detailed Commentary on "Miso and Sake Kasu Marinated Grilled Pork Loin"
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The Star Ingredient: Softening the Sake Kasu
For this recipe, we are using three pork loin chops (approx. 100g each, 300g total) to marinate in an exquisite marinade. The star ingredient is 300g of sake kasu (sake lees), a nutrient-rich byproduct of the sake-brewing process. However, store-bought sake kasu sheets are often too firm to blend smoothly. To fix this, tear the sake kasu into small pieces into a bowl, drizzle with 1.5 tbsp (approx. 22.5cc) of water, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and microwave at 500W for 2 minutes. Adding moisture and heating it dramatically softens the sake kasu, making it incredibly easy to work with.
Mixing Ingredients for the Golden Ratio
While the microwaved sake kasu is still warm, knead it thoroughly with a wooden spatula until it forms a smooth paste. Next, add the seasonings: 120g of miso (any standard household miso works), 80cc of mirin, 50cc of sake, 2 tbsp (approx. 20g) of sugar, and a secret touch of 1 tsp (approx. 5cc) of soy sauce. Since the saltiness of miso varies greatly by brand, adjusting the sweetness at the end is a professional secret. Start by mixing roughly with a silicone spatula, then switch to a whisk once the liquids are incorporated to easily create a smooth, lump-free paste. Taste the mixture; a good miso marinade should taste slightly sweet, so we added an extra 1 tbsp (10g) of sugar here to perfect the flavor.
Scoring Pork for a Beautiful Finish
Once the marinade is ready, move on to prepping the pork loin. Pork loin has tough connective tissue (tendons) between the lean meat and the fat. If you cook the meat without prepping this, the heat will cause the tendons to shrink rapidly, making the meat warp or curl up. To prevent this, use the tip of your knife to score the tendons on both sides of the meat. This simple step ensures the heat penetrates evenly, keeping the pork flat and beautifully presented when cooked.
Marinating Carefully to Lock in Flavor
With the meat prepped, it's time to marinate. Take a suitable container and spread a thin layer of the sake kasu miso paste at the bottom. Arrange the pork chops on top without overlapping, then generously spread more paste over them until they are completely covered. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the meat to eliminate air pockets, ensuring the marinade stays in close contact and prevents drying. Cover with a lid and refrigerate. While 24 hours is good, marinating for a full 2 days (48 hours) is highly recommended. This allows the flavors to penetrate deep into the meat fibers, making it incredibly delicious. Any leftover marinade can be used for fish like salmon, or frozen without losing quality.
Wiping Off Miso to Prevent Burning
After marinating for a full day, remove the pork from the refrigerator. The enzymes in the sake kasu will have made the meat wonderfully tender. Before cooking, gently wipe off the excess marinade from the surface using chopsticks or paper towels. Miso and sake kasu burn very easily, so leaving too much on will char the outside before the inside cooks. However, if you only marinated it for one day, leaving a tiny bit of marinade on can help balance the saltiness. If chopsticks don't get it all, gently patting the surface with a paper towel works perfectly without damaging the meat.
Low and Slow: Chef's Grilling Secrets
Here is how to perfectly cook your marinated pork. First, add half a tablespoon (approx. 7.5cc) of oil to a cold frying pan and arrange the pork chops before turning on the heat. Once lit, drizzle a tiny bit of extra oil around the meat. This extra oil coats the surface and helps prevent burning. Keep the heat on 'low' from start to finish. Cooking slowly over what might seem like an incredibly low heat prevents the marinade from burning and keeps the pork amazingly juicy. As the pan heats up, rotate the positions of the chops to ensure even cooking. Once you get a beautiful golden-brown color, flip them over and cook the other side just as gently.
Tasting the Rich and Aromatic Results
Once both sides are beautifully browned, plate the pork. This dish pairs exceptionally well with refreshing grated daikon radish, so be sure to serve some on the side. With your first bite, the savory aroma of miso fills your mouth, followed by the elegant, rich fragrance of sake lees. Thanks to the sake kasu, the meat fibers are incredibly tender, releasing juicy pork flavor with every bite. It is a deeply satisfying, elegant, and luxurious taste. You can also freeze the pork directly in its marinade. Keeping a stock of this in the freezer makes for a quick, gourmet dinner or bento box addition anytime. Give it a try!
About プロが教える家庭料理 papa′s cooking
プロが教える家庭料理 papa′s cooking
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