Japanify: Pork + Myoga Madness

Myoga madness continues as I experiment with the harvest from my sister's myoga plant. Last week, I topped raw myoga on tofu. This week, I make a stir fry with myoga and slices of pork shoulder.

I am very inexperienced with cooking mammal meat and quite intimidated when it comes to preparing chunks of it. But I have always like the ginger and pork combination, which goes so well with rice. This recipe is a twist on buta no shyoga yaki (pork and ginger). The richness of the pork is contrasted with the bright zing of myoga. Cooking myoga brings out its sweetness, which is another desirable element to this stir fry dish. If you don't have myoga, you can always substitute it with medallions of ginger.



INGREDIENTS

8-12 myoga bulbs
1/2 pound pork shoulder, sliced
3-4 shiitake, sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp cornstarch

Sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
Salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Mix the sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Slice up all your ingredients (myoga, shiitake, pork).



3. Salt and pepper your pork slices in a separate container. Massage with some cornstarch.



4. Heat up the oil in a wok. Fry the pork for 3-4 minutes until they change color.



5. Add the mushroom and fry for 2-3 minutes.

6. Add the myoga and fry for another 3-4 minutes.



7. Turn off the heat and drizzle in the vinegar, soy sauce mixture in the pan and mix well.



8. Serve with rice.



I like how this dish plays within a spectrum of flavors -- the tender pork, with its rich fatty flavors. and the crunchy zingyness of the myoga. It's great piping hot, but equally satisfying at room temperature, making it ideal for a packed lunch.