Japanese · Authentic-ish Japanese
Buta no Shogayaki
441 kcal a serving, against 690 for the traditional version. That is 249 kcal off, or 36%, with 33.4g of protein. Serves 4. .
What the traditional version is
Thin slices of pork shoulder or belly are fried until just coloured, then hit with a sauce of grated ginger, soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar. The liquids reduce to a glossy syrup that coats every piece. It's thrown over a mound of hot rice, sometimes with shredded white cabbage and a dollop of fiery mustard on the side.
What changed, and what each change costs
Pork shoulder swapped for lean pork loin
Loin's about as lean as pork gets, with more protein and less fat. It cooks fast, so if you nail the timing, you get a juicy slice instead of a dry one. Just don't walk away.
What it costs you. You lose that melting, sticky fat and almost all of the chew. The sauce can't soak in the same. The trade-off: you can eat more of it and still feel sprightly at 3pm.
More ginger, less sugar
Cutting the sugar means you miss some of the sticky caramel glaze, but there's no reason you can't slap in extra ginger to pick up the slack. It tastes fresher and you don't end up with a syrupy puddle.
What it costs you. You do lose that 'candy pork' vibe. The sauce is punchier, more like ginger pork than pork in ginger syrup, if you see what I mean.
Rice cut by a third
Reducing the rice cuts starch but leaves enough to soak up every drop of sauce. Loin is the first thing to go dry if you skimp the rice too hard, so don't go meaner than this.
What it costs you. Less rice means fewer excuses to drown your plate in sauce. There's still enough to mop it up, but it isn't the mound you see on lunch trays in Tokyo.
Mustard left out
It's nice, but not essential. That's one less allergen and one less thing to hunt for at the Asian supermarket.
What it costs you. You miss the nose-clearing kick at the end. If you're attached, squeeze some on - but you'll survive without.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 690 | 441 |
| Protein | 29.3g | 33.4g |
| Fat | 23.4g | 5.2g |
| Saturated fat | 8g | 1.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 84.2g | 59.2g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4.2g | 7.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Japanese prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, soybeans.
The method is in the book
If you're here for sticky pork fat, you'll sulk. This is a fresher, lighter plate - less of a nap risk after lunch, more of a ginger kick. You swap that lip-smacking glaze for tang and bite. I won't lie: the original is better if you love melt-in-the-mouth, but my version finally lets you eat ginger pork at your desk and not fight off a food coma all afternoon. I miss the fat, but sometimes you're just pleased to make it to 5 o'clock.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Japanese, along with 48 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.