Category Archives: Spices

Soy Based Dipping Sauces Overview

Written on November 9, 2009 by Mr. Stephenson in Japanese, Mr Stephenson, Sauces, Spices
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This is a summary of japanese soy based dipping sauces. I’m summarizing from Makkiko’s most excellent justhungry.com japanese food blog. Go there…its phenomenal and much more indepth.

Qasabi Jo-yu: Wasabi and soy sauce – raw fish, sushi

Sho-ga Jo-yu: Ginger and soy sauce – used for oily raw fish like mackerel, and bonito.

Ninniku Jo-yu: Garlic + soy sauce  – used sometimes for meat.

Karashi Jo-yu: Reconstituted mustard powder and soy sauce  – this was revelation for me – Makiko reports that this is a very popular combination that is used for things ranging from steamed pork buns to meats. As suggested we used an English mustard powder, Keens,  and a touch of wasabi and it was THE BOMB!

Not sure what its called but: Chili and soy sauce – gyoza dumplings and we put it on the meat..mmmm.

Su-jo-yu: Vinegar and soy sauce – used for many things, cuts the greasiness of fatty dishes. We did not make this but I know it from eating Japanese.

Ponzu: Citrus juice – yuzu, lime, lemon – and soy sauce – used for many things. We used some dashi in this to cut the saltiness a bit.

Tsuyu: Dashi stock, mirin and/or sake, sugar, and soy sauce  – Noodles, tempura, etc.

Yakiniku Sauce Recipes

Written on November 9, 2009 by Mr. Stephenson in Japanese, Mr Stephenson, Sauces, Spices
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These are the Yakiniku sauce recipes I used for Chris and Hiroko’s Yakiniku extravaganza. The apple miso sauce is not at all a trad Yakiniku sauce but we used it on chicken and as a dipping sauce. It was very good. You really want to vary the ingredients to taste so use these just as a guide.

Soy sauce based Yakiniku Marinade/Sauce:

Ingredients:
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 large asian pear peeled and cored
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup mirin
400ml soy sauce
4 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup maple syrop
juice of 2 lemons
3 tbsp yuzu crush
2 tbsp roast sesame seed lightly ground
1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:
1. Grate with a fine grater or pulverize in food processor: onion, garlic and pear.
2. In a pan, put wine and heat to boil. Add soy sauce, sugar, maple and the mixture from step 1. Simmer for 20 minutes with low heat stirring occasionally.
3. Add lemon juice, sesame oil and sesame seed then cool down.
(You can store this sauce 3 weeks in a fridge.)


Salt based Yakiniku marinade/sauce

Ingredients:

1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup mirin
2 tbsp sesame oil
juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsp roast sesame seed (lightly ground)
5 spring onions very finely chopped

Directions:
1. Grate with a fine grater or pulverize in food processor: onion, garlic.
2. In a pan, put wine and the mixture from step 1. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add sea salt, sugar, mirin, sesame oil and lemon juice. Cook for another minute or so.
3. Cool down and add sesame seed, sesame oil and finely chopped spring onion.

Apple Miso Sauce/Marinade

Ingredients:

1 cup good quality miso paste (I used a red miso)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup sugar
1 onion (grated)
1 apple (grated)
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp grated garlic
1 tbsp ground sesame

Combine ingredients and adjust applejuice/mirin to taste.

Soy Based Dipping Sauce Recipes

Written on November 9, 2009 by Mr. Stephenson in Japanese, Mr Stephenson, Recipes, Sauces, Spices
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These are the dipping sauce recipes used for Chris and Hiroko’s Yakiniku extravaganza. You really want to vary the ingredients to taste so use this just as a guide.

Ponzu Sauce

1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
3 tbsp Yuzu Crush (or use lemon juice)
3 tbsp Lemon Juice
1/3 cup Dashi
2 tbsp mirin

Chili vinegar soy sauce

4 tbsp chili paste (i used a chinese garlic chili paste)
3 tbsp soysauce
4 tbsp rice vinegar

Mustard/Wasabi Soy sauce

3 tbsp dry mustard (we used Keens)
1 tbsp wasabi powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons dashi to reconstitute the mustard powders
1 tablespoon sesame seed, lightly toasted
1/2 cup soy sauce

I read that people put all manner of dairy – cream, milk, sour cream – and also mayonnaise in this sauce. We did not do this. We kept it as a soy sauce based sauce and I can attest to the genuine yumminess of this with the grilled meats. I would go so far as to say that this sauce was nothing sort of a revelation!

Ginger Soy Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sake
4 tbsp mirin
one good sized knob of ginger, grated

You need to boil this one for a bit to get rid of the alcohol flavour in the Sake. I would say that, all in all, this sauce was the least interesting. I think I would like to try this with a bit more of a vinegar/mirin vibe. I have to say that I did not really like the sake flavour in this so much.

Dry Cure

Written on August 11, 2009 by Mr. Stephenson in Curing, Recipes, Spices
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Summary: This is a simple dry cure for meats – based on Michael Ruhlman’s recipe in “Charcuterie”

Ingredients

  • 450g of KOSHER salt – make sure its Kosher
  • 225g of sugar or 425g dextrose (dextrose is less sweet – it cuts the salt without making your meat too sweet)
  • 50g of pink curing salt (Prauge Powder#1 or Instacure#1)

(Dextrose and curing salts are available at The Sausage Maker or Butcher and Packer)

Instructions

  1. This recipe allows you to do a simple “dry box” application to meats that are 2″ or less thick. You simply dredge the meat in the dry cure and shake off all the excess.
  2. if you are mixing spices in, measure out 50g or 1/4 cup per 1.5-4 kg (3-5 lb) piece of meat.
  3. place the dredged meat in a ziploc bag and extract as much of the air as possible.
  4. place in fridge for 3-7 days depending on the thickness of the meat.
  5. remove from cure once the meat is firm and dense rather than squishy and raw feeling.
  6. rinse and hang or dry for smoking – depends on what you’re making.
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Italian Pancetta Spice Blend

Written on August 11, 2009 by Mr. Stephenson in Recipes, Spices
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Summary: This is an italian pancetta spice blend

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp juniper berries
  • 4-6 bay leaves crumbled
  • 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  • plenty sprigs of fresh thyme

Instructions

  1. This is a recipe based on traditional pancetta spices. There are as many versions of this recipe as there are bacons in the world so vary it – let your tongue lead. Grind it all up together, mix 1-2 tbsp with your cure and rub it into the pork. Use more if you’re smoking.
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Five Spice-esque cinnamon bacon blend

Written on August 11, 2009 by Mr. Stephenson in Recipes, Spices
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Summary: This is a spice mix based loosly on Chinese Five Spice

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tbsp star anis
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fennel
  • 3 2″ cinnamon sticks
  • 1/2 tbsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp whole cloves

Instructions

  1. This recipe is a variation on the traditional chinese five spice. As always with the spice mixes – its just a starting point, vary the ingredients to suit your tastes. Roast all the spices in a skillet and then grind up in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. I use about 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp per 5 lbs bacon if I’m smoking it. Use less if you’re rubbing a pancetta.
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