When my mom still used to teach classes in The Podium, my family and I would go to that mall to pick her up and eat dinner. Every time, we would choose to dine in this modest Japanese restaurant until eventually, the waiters knew when to expect us. The last time I was able to go back there was almost 3 years ago, yet I still have our orders--a plate of Agedashi tofu, 4 bowls of miso soup, 5 cups of rice, a plate of beef yakiniku, 2 plates of chicken teriyaki, 3 orders of kawa (chicken skin) and 3 orders of butabara--ingrained in my memory. The wish to be able to relive these memories and to order everything on their irresistible menu once more is what compelled me to have a go at preparing butabara or skewered pork belly for dinner.
The Japanese have countless cooking techniques, but this is one of the easier ones for home cooks to recreate. Traditional yakitori is cooked atop portable charcoal grills to make it more convenient for street food vendors to assemble and takedown. The simplicity of the dishes served by these makeshift restaurants is what makes it distinct from the skewered delicacies of other cuisines, for it allows the natural aroma and smokey undertones of the charcoal and pork to take center stage. So in spite of the dish being uncomplicated to prepare at home, butabara yakitori will never disappoint.
Recipe
Yields 2-4 servings
~ Ingredients ~
Butabara
350 grams bacon sliced pork belly
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Teppanyaki Sauce
2 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons mirin
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon miso
1 teaspoon lemon juice
⅙ of a small apple, grated
2 teaspoon white sesame seeds, toasted
~ Procedure ~
Butabara
Place the pork slices onto skewers.
Season the pork skewers with salt and pepper.
Brush butter on a grill pan and cook the skewers for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Serve with lemon slices and enjoy!
Teppanyaki Sauce
In a small pot, simmer sake, mirin, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, miso and lemon juice for 3-5 minutes.
Strain the sauce and transfer it into a bowl.
Add in the grated apple and sesame seeds.
Brush onto the Butabara or serve alongside it.
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