Teriyaki Pork

Dinner | Japanese

Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 20 min Servings: 4

Juicy pork covered in a rich teriyaki sauce and served with rice and cabbage, all done in under 30 minutes! This is a great midweek dinner recipe to make for yourself, your partner and your family.

I don’t often cook with pork during the week as I generally save it for a longer cook on the weekend. However, I’ve been craving it a bit lately so we’re going to make dinner in under 30 minutes using pork tenderloin (also known as pork fillet). The best part of the dish (in my opinion) is the teriyaki sauce which brings so much flavour to this dish and it’s really simple to make.

I made this for Katelyn recently and I think it’s now her new favourite dish as she keeps on requesting it. This recipe will take you through the steps, as well as provide a little extra guidance on the ingredients, techniques and method.

I’ll try to do a few more of these 30 minute meal ideas because I know that’s all the time I have during the week to make dinner.

What is teriyaki?

Teriyaki originates from a 17th century Japanese cooking technique, where teri (luster) and yaki (grill) combine to create a sweet, glossy sauce traditionally used for grilled fish. The combination of soy, mirin, sake and honey creates an incredible flavourful that works so well as a glaze. Over time, pork and other meats were introduced. This version with pork tenderloin is a great example of how simple, quality ingredients and a good sauce can make an incredible meal in under 30 minutes.

Ingredient Notes

Pork tenderloin: this cut is taken from the loin and it's a long, lean cut of pork. Alternative pork cuts you can use are pork chops, diced loin or pork belly. You can also switch pork out completely and make it with chicken thighs or beef (like flank steak).

Short grain rice: is also known as sushi rice and can be purchased at major supermarkets and Asian grocers.

Soy sauce: I always recommend using a good quality soy sauce which I generally shop for at the Asian supermarket.

Peanut oil: as there’s so many flavours going on in this dish, I like to use peanut oil as my cooking oil as it has a neutral flavour. If you prefer to cook with olive oil, it will still taste good.

Rice vinegar and sesame oil: these are used to add balance and acid to the cabbage that we’ll serve on the side. You’ll be able to find both of these in a major supermarket or your local Asian grocer.

Equipment you’ll need

Rice cooker
Fine colander or sieve
Large frying pan
Tray (for resting the pork)
Large mixing bowl
Chopping board, chefs knife, measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

2 pork tenderloins (approximately 800g)
sea salt and cracked white pepper, to season
2 tbsp peanut oil
3 garlic cloves
2 spring onions
1½ tbsp sake
60ml (¼ cup) soy sauce
60ml (¼ cup) mirin
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp sesame oil
to serve
2 cups (400g) short-grain rice
500ml (2 cups) water
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 tsp sesame oil
Sea salt, to season
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 Lebanese cucumber

Directions

Cook the rice
Place the rice in a fine colander or sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear.
Transfer to a rice cooker with the water and turn on to cook.
When the rice cooker finishes, leave the rice to steam for 10 minutes before serving.
Cook the pork
Trim the silver skin from the pork tenderloins. Cut into medallions approximately 3cm thick. Season well with salt and white pepper.
Heat half the peanut oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook for 3 minutes, turning, until well seared on both sides.
Transfer to a tray and set aside
Cook the sauce
Finely chop the garlic, then finely chop the whites of the spring onions. Thinly slice the greens of the spring onion and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and spring onion whites. Cook for 1-2 minutes to soften.
Deglaze the pan with the sake, scraping off the fond from the base. Stir in the soy, mirin, honey and sesame oil. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
Return the pork to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Turn the pork in the sauce to glaze all over and cook for a few minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Turn off the heat and stir through the greens of the spring onions.
Finish and serve
Combine the shredded cabbage and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Pour over the sesame oil, rice vinegar and season with some salt, toss well to combine. Thinly slice the cucumber.
To serve, divide some steamed rice between serving plates, then add some of the cabbage on the side and the cucumber.
Top with the pork and drizzle with the sauce.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Trimming silver skin

Silver skin is the thin, silvery membrane found on pork tenderloin. It's important to remove it before cooking as it doesn't break down during cooking and can cause the meat to toughen and curl. Use a sharp knife and slide it under the membrane, pulling it away from the meat.

Cutting medallions

Cutting the pork into even 3cm medallions ensures the meat cooks evenly and quickly. Keeping them the same thickness means they'll all be ready at the same time, avoiding some pieces being overcooked while others are underdone.

Searing the pork

Cooking the pork over medium-high heat creates a golden crust on the outside through a process called the Maillard reaction. This adds depth of flavour and texture to the dish.

Deglazing

After searing the pork, there will be caramelised bits stuck to the base of the pan known as fond. Adding the sake to the hot pan loosens these bits, incorporating all that flavour into the sauce.

Glazing the pork

Returning the pork to the sauce and cooking on medium-high heat allows the sauce to reduce and thicken, coating the meat in a sticky, glossy glaze. Turning the pork regularly ensures it's evenly coated on all sides.

Rinsing the rice

Rinsing short grain rice under cold water until the water runs clear removes excess starch. This helps prevent the rice from becoming overly sticky or gummy when cooked.

Steaming the rice

Leaving the rice to steam for 10 minutes after the rice cooker finishes allows the moisture to redistribute evenly through the rice, resulting in a fluffier, more even texture.

Cook Support

Storage

Store any pork leftovers in the sauce in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days. The rice and cabbage can also be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated.

Serving ideas

Instead of serving with rice and cabbage, you could serve it with noodles or steamed greens. I also think it would make a great fried rice the next day if you manage to save some leftovers.

Reheating

Made extras? You can reheat the rice and pork in a microwave, then serve with the cabbage on the side. Another way to reheat the pork is in a pan over medium heat and add a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

FAQs

Can I freeze this dish? I wouldn’t freeze this one. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can I make the teriyaki sauce ahead of time? You can make it separately but you will lose a bit of the flavour from cooking the pork in the same pan first. If you do make it ahead, just store it in your fridge in an airtight container. You can make it a day or two before using.

Can I make this gluten free? This recipe can easily be made gluten free with a couple of simple swaps and label checks. The main ingredient to swap is the soy sauce, traditional soy sauce is made with wheat and is not gluten free. Replace it with tamari (a Japanese soy sauce that is typically wheat free) or a certified gluten free soy sauce, both of which are available at major supermarkets or your local Asian grocery store. You should also check the labels on your mirin and sake as some brands may contain gluten depending on how they are produced. With these simple adjustments, this dish can be enjoyed by those following a gluten free diet.