Chashu Pork, Foil Baked Carrots and Green Beans

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We had three great Japanese inspired dishes. We rotisseried a Chashu Pork Loin. I like rotisserie cooking, it is very forgiving. Since we are locked in our house, it was fun to actually go outside to cook. All of these dishes were excellent. I hope we get to make this again. The Foil-Baked Green Beans with Soy Sauce and Garlic and Foil-Baked Green Beans with Soy Sauce and Garlic were great ways to prepare vegetables. It has the added advantage of not needing to cleaning any pans after the dish is cooked, just throw the foil away. These are good recipes worth making.

Chashu Pork

The Japanese Grill

This Chinese style of grilling pork has been happily adopted in Japan, especially at ramen joints, where a slice of chashu is a standard topping for a steaming bowl of noodles. Ramen or not, slow-grilled chashu tastes incredible, especially served with a bowl of rice on the side. You can also chop it into small cubes and use it to make fried rice. If you can t find boneless pork shoulder, you can substitute pork loin. Make sure to eat chashu at room temperature, the way it’s traditionally enjoyed.

½          cup soy sauce

¼          cup sake

2           tablespoons mirln

1           tablespoon packed brown sugar

4           thick slices unpeeled fresh ginger (about 1/2 ounce)

2           cloves garlic, crushed

2           small scallions (white and green parts), coarsely chopped

1-1/2    pounds pork shoulder, boned and tied up with butcher’s string (ask your butcher to do this for you)

To make the marinade, whisk together the soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallions. Pour three-fourths of the marinade into a baking dish or rimmed sheet pan and reserve the rest. Lay the pork in the marinade and flip it 4 times to generously coat all over. Cover and marinate the pork in the refrigerator for 2 hours, flipping the meat every 30 minutes.

Set up a grill for indirect heat (medium-low heat; see page 15). Grill the pork, covered, on the indirect side this way: Grill for about 10 minutes. Flip the pork and brush with the reserved marinade. Grill the meat for about 35 more minutes. Brush on more marinade about eveiy 5 minutes.The pork will become browned and glossy when it’s ready. Allow the pork to come to room temperature, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and serve.

Foil-Baked Green Beans with Soy Sauce and Garlic

The Japanese Grill

Make sure not to overcook the green beans. You want them firm and crunchy, not mushy like hospital food. Mix
together the green beans just before serving to evenly coat all of them with the fragrant marinade. These beans
taste great room temperature or even cold (a perfect leftover for the next day).

1      pound green beans, ends snapped off, and beans cut in half on an angle

1      clove garlic, finely minced or pressed

1      tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion

1      tablespoons soy sauce

2      tablespoons sake

2      tablespoons olive oil

½     teaspoon salt

Cut a 3-foot-long piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil; fold in half lengthwise and set aside. Toss together all the ingredients in a bowl to make the marinade. Transfer the green bean mixture to the aluminum foil sheet, arranging in a mound in the center. Carefully fold one end of the aluminum foil over the other and pinch the sides to close, creating a neat pouch.

Preheat a grill to medium-hot. Place the aluminum foil pouch directly on the grate and grill for about 10 minutes. Carefully open the pouch slightly to peek inside and check if the green beans are cooked through and sizzling (be careful of escaping steam).Transferthefoil pouch to a plate and unwrap it. Serve the green beans directly from the pouch.

Foil-Baked Carrots with Salt

The Japanese Cookbook

If you’re like us, you usually have a few carrots lying around in the fridge. Here’s our suggestion: The next time you grill, slap ’em on the grate. This simple method will transform carrots into something incredible.

4       medium carrots (about 1 pound)

Salt

Cathy added some olive oil

Cut four 12-inch-long pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold each in half. On each piece of aluminum foil, place a whole carrot. Fold over the aluminum foil to wrap the car-rots completely.

Preheat a grill to medium. Place the foil-wrapped carrots directly on the grate. Grill the carrots for about 20 minutes, turning 2 or 3 times.Test the carrots for doneness by pressing the sides with tongs. If the carrots give easily, they’re ready.

Unwrap the carrots (be careful of any escaping steam). When they're just cool enough to touch, peel off the skin, which will slide off easily, and serve. Sprinkle salt on top to taste.