00:00I've made this twice now and it's really nice, says one of my readers.
00:04Watch how Worcester soy reduces to syrupy perfection while pork says caramel brown.
00:10That's where the magic happens.
00:12For a printable version of this recipe, visit my website, just google tontekisudachi to find me.
00:19First, let's get our bread work sorted.
00:22Shred about 100g of cabbage as thin as you possibly can.
00:27We'll need that later.
00:28Now for the garlic.
00:30If you have small cloves, lightly smash them with the skins off.
00:34For large cloves, have them lengthwise remove those bitter green cores from the center, then lightly crush them.
00:42In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons of Japanese soy sauce,
00:481 half teaspoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of mirin, and 1 teaspoon of honey.
00:54If you use Japanese brands like Bulldog or Kogome Worcestershire, they bring a sweeter, fruitier flavour.
01:02But standard lean pairings works perfectly.
01:04Just use a touchless since it's more assertive and vinegar-forward.
01:09Give it a good stir and sour side.
01:15Now for the pork.
01:16We're using more or less 450g of boneless pork.
01:21My recommendations for tonteki are shoulder loin, blade chop, rib chop, and fatty loin chop.
01:27I'm actually running a double feature today.
01:30Here's a shoulder steak, but I also grabbed this pork chop from the local butcher.
01:35It was literally labelled for tonteki, and you can see why.
01:39It's already glove cut for us.
01:42If you do choose a chop over shoulder, make sure it has substantial marbling and a fat cap like this
01:48one.
01:49If you only see really lean loin chops at your store, those aren't going to cut it for this dish.
01:55Go for shoulder loin from Boston Bart instead in that case.
01:58That extra marbling makes all the difference.
02:01For the shoulder, I make incisions on the connecting fat to help prevent curling and promote even cooking.
02:08If your pork is thicker than 1.5cm, grab a meat mullet or a rolling pin, and lightly tap the
02:16steak to make it an even 1.5cm throughout.
02:23On the other hand, for these chops, they're already thin enough, so I won't pound them.
02:29Then add glove style cuts across the meat so it opens up like a hand, but stays attached by about
02:371-2cm at the base.
02:39It should look like a baseball glove, or perhaps a slightly terrifying hand.
02:44The cuts stop the meat from curling up in the pan and give that glorious so small surface area to
02:51cling to.
02:53This glove presentation is actually a hallmark of yokkaichi-style tonteki.
02:59Season both sides generously with salt and a few good grinds of black pepper per side.
03:05Now, dust very lightly with all-purpose flour, then brush off the excess until you can just barely see it.
03:12A thin flour veil promotes better browning and creates cohesive glaze that sticks to the meat.
03:19Too much flour scotches and muddies your sauce texture.
03:25Set a heavy bottom pan of medium-low heat and add half a tablespoon of lard or neutral oil if
03:33you prefer.
03:33Drop in your prepared garlic cloves, you want them to slowly turn translucent than pale gold, releasing those sweet roasted
03:42aromatics into the fat.
03:44Next, slide the pork into the pan.
03:46If your chop has a thick fat cut, stand it upright on the edge first, leg propping a book up
03:53on its spine, and hold it steady with tongs for about 90-120 seconds.
03:59This renders out some fat and gives you better contact when you lay it flat.
04:06Now, lay flat and bump to heat up to medium.
04:10Flip every 60 seconds for 4 to 6 minutes total.
04:20Multiple flips help prevent burning and also create a better sear.
04:25You're looking for deep caramel brown color.
04:28Here's something really critical.
04:31The moment your garlic cloves turn golden, pluck them out and perch them right on top of the pork.
04:38You absolutely want to avoid burnt garlic.
04:41Burnt garlic tastes bitter and intense and it will ruin your glaze.
04:46Once both sides have developed that caramel brown color, cover the pan with a lid and drop the heat to
04:54low.
04:54Let it steam cook for 5 minutes.
04:57This gentle moist heat finishes the interior without making it tough.
05:04Now, tilt the pan and spoon out the excess rendered fat or blot it with paper towel until only a
05:11thin shimmer remains.
05:13Too much fat makes your glaze greasy and prone to breaking.
05:17You'll end up with separated oily sauce instead of the glossy coating we're after.
05:23Stir in your premixed sauce, scraping up all the beautiful fond, those brown bits stacked to the pan.
05:30Reduce the sauce until it's syrupy and clings to your spoon in a glossy sheet.
05:35About 1-2 minutes.
05:37Keep your heat at medium or below here.
05:40Add sweet sauces with sugar and mirin scorch easily.
05:44Check the thickest part of the pork with an instant read thermometer.
05:4863 degrees Celsius means it's safely cooked all the way through.
05:53Turn off the heat and transfer the pork and garlic to a plate to rest.
05:57While it rests, drop 1 teaspoon of cold and salted butter into the warm glaze and swirl it in.
06:06Watch it go from shiny to lacquered with a luxurious velvety texture.
06:12That butter creates an emulsion that gives that glaze body and richness.
06:18Mount your shredded cabbage high on each plate.
06:21Lay the pork alongside it.
06:24Spoon the glossy glaze generously over the pork, letting it pour around the base and soak into that cabbage.
06:32Crown the meat with your golden garlic cloves and serve immediately while everything is still hot.
06:39You don't need dressing for this dish.
06:41The glaze is meant to season the cabbage too.
06:46If you've got plain cooked Japanese rice and miso soup on the side,
06:50your very Japanese style taishoku meal is complete.
06:55Want even more delicious recipes?
06:57Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
07:01Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time.
07:04And if you're ready to cook, grab the written instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's
07:09about to pop up on your screen.
07:11Want to learn every detail behind this recipe?
07:13If you need, you can find the full version and step-by-step tips on my website.
07:18Just tap the link on the screen.
07:19And for more recipes like this, head to my Ultimate Recipe playlist.
07:24Thanks for watching.
07:25Step 3
07:25To do
07:26To
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