My favorite dish for entertaining: Roast Pork

Those who have visited my home or come to my workshops every year have likely tasted this.
It is my favorite dish for entertaining: roast pork!

It is a recipe I am proud of that everyone, young and old, seems to love.
During the miso class in February, a grandmother close to 80 years old enjoyed it so much that I gave her the recipe.

The best part is that if you prepare it the day before, all you have to do right before eating is brown it in a fish grill or toaster oven.
You can serve it while enjoying conversation with your guests without having to rush around.

However, given the current situation, there are no such opportunities, are there?

Please, do enjoy it for yourself.

(Ingredients) 500g pork shoulder roast
A little less than 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (Japanese sake is also fine)
1/5 clove of garlic
1 star anise

(Steps) Bake in the oven -> Marinate in the sauce for 1-2 days -> Brown to finish.
The total preparation time is about 10 minutes.

Bring the pork shoulder roast to room temperature and place it in a pot or heat-resistant dish.

Preheat the oven to 100 degrees and bake for 90 minutes.

Once baked, let it rest inside the oven until it cools down to room temperature.

Put 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of soy sauce into a plastic bag. If you get used to it and want to skip measuring, remember that the sweetness should be about the same as the sugar-soy sauce mixture you use when eating mochi.

Add 2 teaspoons of Shaoxing wine. If you don't have any, Japanese sake is fine.

Add a tiny bit of garlic. This is about how much I had left after grating.

Break off one segment of star anise. Just this pinched part. If you use a whole one, the aroma will be too strong, so please stick to just one segment.

It is better to include it, but if you don't have any, please omit it.
If you want to add something instead, please use a tiny bit of five-spice powder or cinnamon.

Once the marinade is made, add the meat after wiping off any scum and meat juices.

It should look like this, submerged in the marinade. Remove as much air as possible, tie it up, and let it cool. Placing it on top of an ice pack or similar will help it cool faster. After that, store it in the refrigerator.

One day is fine, but it is even more delicious if you marinate it for about two days.

Now, I have let this sit for two days.

Right before eating, take the meat out of the refrigerator. Line a fish grill tray with aluminum foil and place the meat on it.

I want to keep it a bit further from the heat, so I'll remove the rack and place it directly on the tray.

Grill on high heat until it is well-browned. (You can also do this in a toaster oven.) Resist the urge to flip it until the fat is sizzling and smells delicious.

Flip it over and grill the other side until the fat is crispy. Don't be afraid to let it char.

Today's side dish is thinly sliced bamboo shoots.
Place them in a frying pan without oil, grill until browned, then add the sauce from the plastic bag and reduce.

Once the meat grilled in the fish roaster has cooled enough to touch the surface, slice it. The inside will be slightly warm.

Arrange the bamboo shoots, place the meat on top, and drizzle with the sauce.
If you taste the meat and feel the flavor hasn't soaked in enough, mix some soy sauce into the sauce and drizzle a generous amount over it as a finishing touch.

It is moist, the surface is crispy, and the fat is plump and crunchy. It is simply delicious.

It is excellent served as a rice bowl. Serve with cilantro paste and Japanese mustard.

Are you all tired from all these photos? Just a little bit more.

The seasoning is on the sweet side, so when you reduce the sauce at the end, you can add a little more soy sauce if you like. However, I personally love this sweet sauce!

During plum season, you can even arrange it by swapping the sugar for plum jam.
Making soft-boiled eggs, marinating them in the sauce to make seasoned eggs, and serving them on the side is also fantastic!

The roast pork can be stored in the refrigerator for about 4 days while soaked in the sauce. You can also slice it and freeze it.

For frozen roast pork, defrost it halfway in the microwave and use it for instant ramen or fried rice!

Please do try making my signature roast pork.