Pork Yakitori Skewers with Scallions and Glossy Tare

Name: Pork Yakitori Skewers with Scallions and Glossy Tare
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: ½ cup (120 ml) soy sauce; ½ cup (120 ml) mirin; ¼ cup (60 ml) sake; 3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon (6 g) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (about 3 coins); 1½ pounds (680 g) boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed of thick hard fat, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes; 8 whole (200 g) thick scallions, root ends trimmed, white and pale green parts cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) lengths (about 36 pieces); ¾ teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt; 1 tablespoon (14 ml) neutral oil, such as canola, plus a little more for oiling the grates; shichimi togarashi, for sprinkling, to taste (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Juicy cubes of pork shoulder threaded with sweet scallion pieces, grilled over high heat and brushed with a reduced soy, mirin and sake glaze until lacquered and caramelized at the edges.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 28 min
Wait: 35 min
Total: 1 hr 33 min
Makes: 12 skewers (3 per person)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the tare glaze
½ cup (120 ml) soy sauce
½ cup (120 ml) mirin
¼ cup (60 ml) sake
3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (6 g) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (about 3 coins)
For the skewers
1½ pounds (680 g) boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed of thick hard fat, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
8 whole (200 g) thick scallions, root ends trimmed, white and pale green parts cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) lengths (about 36 pieces)
¾ teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt
1 tablespoon (14 ml) neutral oil, such as canola, plus a little more for oiling the grates
To finish
shichimi togarashi, for sprinkling, to taste (optional)

Equipment (7)

Small saucepan (1-quart/1 L)
12 bamboo skewers, 8-inch (20 cm), soaked, or metal skewers
Grill (charcoal or gas) or a grill pan or broiler with rack
Instant-read thermometer
Basting brush
Cutting board and sharp knife
Small bowl for reserved tare

Steps

Before you start

Soak 12 bamboo skewers (8-inch/20 cm) in water for at least 30 minutes so they don't burn, or use metal skewers.
Choose pork shoulder (Boston butt) with some marbling; lean pork loin will dry out.
Make the tare first; it needs to cool slightly and thicken before basting.
Set aside a quarter of the tare for dipping at the table so it never touches raw pork.

1
Simmer the tare
- Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar and ginger in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Reduce to medium-low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until reduced to about ¾ cup (180 ml).
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Ready when: The tare coats the back of a spoon and leaves a line when you drag a finger through it; it will thicken more as it cools.
Tip: Don't over-reduce; it should still pour. Over-reduced tare burns quickly on the grill.
2
Cool and divide tare
- Strain out the ginger and let the tare cool for 10 minutes.
- Pour about ¼ cup (60 ml) into a small bowl for serving, and keep the rest in the pan or a separate bowl for basting.
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Ready when: Tare is warm, not hot, and syrupy.
Tip: Never dip a brush used on raw or cooking pork into the serving portion.
3
Season the pork
- Pat the pork cubes dry with paper towels.
- Toss in a bowl with the kosher salt and neutral oil until evenly coated.
- Let stand while the grill heats, about 15 minutes.
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Ready when: Pork looks lightly glossy and evenly seasoned.
Tip: Dry pork browns better than wet pork.
4
Assemble skewers
- Thread each skewer with pork and scallion alternating: pork, scallion, pork, scallion, pork, scallion, using about 4 pork cubes and 3 scallion pieces per skewer.
- Pack pieces snugly but not tightly, and thread scallions through the cut side so they stay put.
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Ready when: 12 skewers, each with about 4 pork cubes and 3 scallion pieces, with a handle of bare skewer to hold.
Tip: Leave 1½ inches (4 cm) of bare skewer as a handle.
5
Heat the grill
- Heat a grill to medium-high (about 450°F/230°C) with a hot zone and a cooler zone.
- Clean the grates and oil them with a folded paper towel dipped in oil, held with tongs.
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Ready when: You can hold your hand 5 inches above the grates for only 3 to 4 seconds.
Tip: A grill pan over medium-high heat or a broiler 4 inches from the element also works.
6
Grill first side
- Place skewers on the hot zone and grill for 4 minutes without moving, until the pork releases easily and has browned grill marks.
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Ready when: Deep golden-brown marks on the pork; scallions beginning to soften.
Tip: Wrap bare skewer ends in foil if flames flare up.
7
Turn and baste
- Flip the skewers and brush generously with tare.
- Grill 3 minutes, then flip and brush the other side.
- Repeat flipping and basting 2 more times, for a total of 12 to 14 minutes of grilling.
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Ready when: Pork is lacquered, mahogany at the edges, and reads 150°F (66°C) in the center of a thick cube.
Tip: If the glaze blackens or flares, move skewers to the cooler zone. Stop basting the last 2 minutes so the raw-pork-touched tare cooks through.
8
Rest and finish
- Transfer skewers to a platter and rest 5 minutes.
- Brush lightly with the reserved clean tare and sprinkle with shichimi togarashi if you like.
- Serve hot.
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Ready when: Pork is tender and juicy; the internal temperature reaches 155°F (68°C) after resting.
Tip: Discard any leftover basting tare that touched raw pork, or boil it for 2 minutes first.

Good to know

Tips

Cut the cubes uniformly so they cook at the same pace.
Basting in thin layers builds a better glaze than one thick coat.
Pork shoulder is forgiving and stays juicy at 150°F (66°C); don't cook it past about 160°F (71°C).
Serve with steamed rice and a quick cucumber salad.

Make ahead

"Make the tare up to 2 weeks ahead and refrigerate in a sealed jar. Skewer the pork and scallions up to 1 day ahead, cover, and refrigerate; season with salt and oil just before grilling."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight up to 3 days. Freezer: up to 2 months, wrapped well. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes or in a skillet over medium heat, brushing with a little tare."

Substitutions

sake → dry sherry or extra mirin. Dry sherry is closest; extra mirin makes the glaze slightly sweeter.
thick scallions → leeks (white part) or Japanese negi. Cut leeks into 1-inch pieces and keep the layers together with the skewer.
boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt) → boneless skinless chicken thighs. Cook to 165°F (74°C) instead.
soy sauce → tamari. Makes the dish gluten-free; check that the mirin is also gluten-free.