Teriyaki Pork

Recipe notes

Trimming silver skin

Silver skin is the thin, silvery membrane found on pork tenderloin. It's important to remove it before cooking as it doesn't break down during cooking and can cause the meat to toughen and curl. Use a sharp knife and slide it under the membrane, pulling it away from the meat.

Cutting medallions

Cutting the pork into even 3cm medallions ensures the meat cooks evenly and quickly. Keeping them the same thickness means they'll all be ready at the same time, avoiding some pieces being overcooked while others are underdone.

Searing the pork

Cooking the pork over medium-high heat creates a golden crust on the outside through a process called the Maillard reaction. This adds depth of flavour and texture to the dish.

Deglazing

After searing the pork, there will be caramelised bits stuck to the base of the pan known as fond. Adding the sake to the hot pan loosens these bits, incorporating all that flavour into the sauce.

Glazing the pork

Returning the pork to the sauce and cooking on medium-high heat allows the sauce to reduce and thicken, coating the meat in a sticky, glossy glaze. Turning the pork regularly ensures it's evenly coated on all sides.

Rinsing the rice

Rinsing short grain rice under cold water until the water runs clear removes excess starch. This helps prevent the rice from becoming overly sticky or gummy when cooked.

Steaming the rice

Leaving the rice to steam for 10 minutes after the rice cooker finishes allows the moisture to redistribute evenly through the rice, resulting in a fluffier, more even texture.

Cook Support

Storage

Store any pork leftovers in the sauce in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days. The rice and cabbage can also be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated.

Serving ideas

Instead of serving with rice and cabbage, you could serve it with noodles or steamed greens. I also think it would make a great fried rice the next day if you manage to save some leftovers.

Reheating

Made extras? You can reheat the rice and pork in a microwave, then serve with the cabbage on the side. Another way to reheat the pork is in a pan over medium heat and add a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Ingredient notes

Pork tenderloin:

this cut is taken from the loin and it's a long, lean cut of pork. Alternative pork cuts you can use are pork chops, diced loin or pork belly. You can also switch pork out completely and make it with chicken thighs or beef (like flank steak).

Short grain rice:

is also known as sushi rice and can be purchased at major supermarkets and Asian grocers.

Soy sauce:

I always recommend using a good quality soy sauce which I generally shop for at the Asian supermarket.

Peanut oil:

as there’s so many flavours going on in this dish, I like to use peanut oil as my cooking oil as it has a neutral flavour. If you prefer to cook with olive oil, it will still taste good.

Rice vinegar and sesame oil:

these are used to add balance and acid to the cabbage that we’ll serve on the side. You’ll be able to find both of these in a major supermarket or your local Asian grocer.