| Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 40 mins – 55 mins | Difficulty: Medium | Serves: 6 |
| kcal | fat | saturates | carbs |
| 356 | 21g | 6g | 13g |
| sugars | fibre | protein | salt |
| 7g | 2g | 27g | 1.2g |
Why I Love Japanese Pork Steak with Vegetables
Welcome to yet another delightful kitchen journey–we’re diving headfirst into a luscious yet simple-to-create ‘Pork Steak with Vegetables’. A profound spin on a traditional Japanese recipe, I find myself revisiting and refining time and time again. This sumptuous, wholesome, and flavourful delicacy teems with the rich, round flavours of pork steak balanced by a colorful medley of crunchy, thinly sliced fresh veggies. So, let’s waltz into why Pork Steak with Vegetables is a dish close to my heart.
A Home Away From Home
As a Maine-native chef specializing in the simplicity and elegance of New England seafood, you might find it intriguing that a Japanese recipe has taken such a prized spot in my kitchen. Well, as a mother of two daughters, Erin and Samantha, I’ve made it a priority to expose them and myself to various culinary cultures. This recipe, in fact, was inspired by a dear friend and culinary compatriot, cyber-mentor, and eminent chef Harumi Kurihara, whose recipes never fail to inspire suitable dinner goals.
Cooking it with Love
The marriage of pork steak and vegetables in this delightful recipe is a union that ticks off all essential flavours – sweet, salty, tangy, and umami. Cooking it with love adds an extra layer of comfort to the meal and helps bridge the gap between my coastal culinary roots and this wonderful Eastern cuisine. The steak’s robust texture, coupled with a flavorful soy-sake-mirin sauce, pairs unbelievably well with the crisp, crunchiness of the veggies.
If you’re wondering what to serve alongside this charming Japanese Pork Steak with Vegetables, it pairs brilliantly with a bowl of sticky rice, a side of miso soup, or a refreshing cucumber salad. It’s quite similar to another favourite of mine: Negimaki – Japanese Beef and Scallion Rolls. Just like Negimaki, this pork steak dish holds a wonderful play of flavours and textures, while being pleasantly uncomplicated to create!
I believe that every recipe carries its own charm and signature, and that’s precisely why I love this Pork Steak with Vegetables dish. It’s a wonderful expression of my desire to venture beyond the seafood I know so well and step into the vibrant world of international flavours. Most importantly, it’s a recipe that brings my family together at the dinner table, savoring each bite and sharing stories from our day. And for me, that alone is a fantastic reason to hold this recipe dear.
What You’ll Need
- 2 lbs. of pork steak
- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 zucchinis, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons of sake (Japanese rice wine)
- 4 tablespoons of mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- White sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Method
Step One
Begin by seasoning your pork steak with salt and pepper according to your taste. In a large frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat then add your pork steak. Cook until they are properly browned on both sides. Once cooked, remove them from the pan and set them aside.
Step Two
Using the same pan, add another 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil then add your sliced vegetables and garlic. Lightly salt and stir-fry them until they are tender. Afterwards, remove them from the pan and set them aside as well.
Step Three
In a bowl, combine your soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, and cornstarch. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch have completely dissolved.
Step Four
Now, return your cooked pork steak to the pan over medium-high heat. Pour your sauce mixture over the steak and allow it to simmer until the sauce has thickened. Make sure each piece of steak is coated evenly.
Step Five
Once your sauce has thickened, return your stir-fried vegetables to the pan and toss everything together until your vegetables are coated in the sauce as well.
Step Six
Now your Pork Steak with Vegetables is ready to serve! Optionally, you can garnish it with white sesame seeds before serving. Enjoy!
