Sanctuary from The Mad World
Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch. - Orson Welles

Modified from Harumi’s Japanese Home Cooking.

I’ve tried a few recipes from that book and I love them! They’re easy to make, tasty, and very Japanese. Following her suggestion, I served the ginger pork with rice & green peas (basically soy-sauce and sake flavoured rice tossed with frozen green peas) and it was delicious. The pork was tender and subtly flavoured with soy-sauce and ginger. However, instead of the suggested stir-fried bean sprout, I paired the ginger pork with the daikon & carrot salad for added freshness.

Ingredients:
Ginger Pork:
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
300 g finely sliced pork (I use the neck)
Oil for frying

Daikon & Carrot Salad:
2 1/3 cups daikon
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 tsp salt + more to taste
3 tbsp finely chopped spring onions
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp fine sugar
2 tbsp sesame oil
Sesame seeds


Directions:
Ginger Pork:
Mix together soy sauce, mirin, and grated ginger. Dip the pork into this marinade briefly just before cooking.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Remove the pork from the marinade and add to the pan, making sure it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick or curl up. Turn over after a couple of minutes and cook until both sides are browned. Do not leave the pork for too long but make sure it’s cooked through.

Daikon & Carrot Salad:
Peel daikon and carrots and cut into 2 1/2-inch-length julienne.

Toss daikon and carrots with 1/2 tsp salt and leave until slightly softened. Squeeze to remove excess water.

In a bowl, combine daikon and carrot with finely chopped spring onion and garlic. Add in this order, combining well before adding the next: rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and sesame oil. Toss with plenty of sesame seeds. Serve immediately.