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Japanese Foods--yakimono

torakris

By torakris
in Japan: Cooking & Baking

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

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Hm. I don't know that Japanese cuisine really understands oil or grilling. Except for unagi and some seafood. I find I prefer Korean styles.

Yakitori is often underdone and slimy. Though it's fine for chicken hearts, livers, and so on.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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torakris

torakris

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I agrree with Jin, Koreans win hands down for perfecting the art of yakimono!

Some Japanese favorites include: okonomiyaki, and the grilled squid and corn on the cob that you can find everywhere in the summer.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

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dengaku anything!

even konnyaku! :biggrin:

Gah.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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torakris

torakris

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ok, I don't get it.

what's the joke?

Soba

Jin doesn't really like konnyaku, so I fell the need to mention it at least once a week, to keep her on her toes. :biggrin:

I really do like konnyaku dengaku though, I am thinking about preparing it tonight.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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SobaAddict70

SobaAddict70

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ok, I know that konnyaku is that weird steak you used to have as an avatar.

so, what's konnyaku dengaku? weird tofu steak?

is that what broiled tofu is called?

it doesn't taste anything like steak if you ask me. the miso paste makes it even better. :blink:

Soba

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torakris

torakris

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ok, I know that konnyaku is that weird steak you used to have as an avatar.

so, what's konnyaku dengaku?  weird tofu steak?

is that what broiled tofu is called?

it doesn't taste anything like steak if you ask me.  the miso paste makes it even better.  :blink:

Soba

dengaku is a miso based glaze that is spread on to grilled vegetables, fish, tofu, konnyaku etc,

so konnyaku dengaku is a piece of konnyaku with a miso glaze, broiled tofu with miso would be called tofu dengaku.

Konnyaku tastes nothing like steak! :biggrin: but the miso does help it taste like something!

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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smallworld

smallworld

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This is such a big topic, because 'yaki' in Japanese covers what we call baking, grilling, toasting, broiling, roasting and pan-frying (I'm sure I'm missing some) in English.

That said, I beg to differ with Jinmyo- I love Japanese grilling. Especially grilled fish. Not only is it great tasting, it is one of the simplest and fastest techniques in Japanese cooking, so I find myself grilling a lot when I get busy.

There is nothing better than fresh grilled saury in late summer. Flavoured with nothing more than a sprinkling of salt, and served with a bit of grated daikon splashed with soy sauce (and maybe a lemon slice if I'm feeling fancy). It's great to actually be able to taste the fish.

This winter my husband really developed an appreciation for mirin-zuke, which is fish that has been dried for a day and marinated in a mixture containing mirin and sesame seeds (I'm actually not totally sure what mirin-zuke is, since there seem to be so many variations. Can anyone help?). After grilling it's so tender and juicy- we ate it so often I'm now kind of sick of it!

Ginger pork is a dish that has rescued me many a weary evening when I've been tempted to buy take-out for dinner rather than cook. It's so simple and fast to prepare, and usually everything excpet the pork is already on hand so it doesn't require a major shopping trip.

A favourite snack that can be assembled easily is isobe-yaki- mochi that is grilled till slightly browned on the outside and soft on the inside, dipped in soy sauce, and wrapped in a crisp sheet of nori. For a gourmet version, I add cheese.

My eGullet foodblog: Spring in Tokyo

My regular blog: Blue Lotus

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smallworld

smallworld

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Oh no, I forgot maki-mono, rolled things. (I think these belong here, but maybe they could also be classified as itame-ni? Or should they have their own category?)

Favourites:

Buta no shiso-maki- thinly sliced pork rolled with shiso and sliced mountain potato and ume paste.

Sardine rolls- fillets of iwashi rolled up with shiso and a mixture of miso, sesame, ginger and green onion.

Tori no isobe-yaki- ground chicken mixed with minced shiitake and seasonings, rolled up in a sheet of nori (like sushi) and pan-fried before simmering in soy sauce and mirin, then sliced into pretty wheels.

My eGullet foodblog: Spring in Tokyo

My regular blog: Blue Lotus

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Jinmyo

Jinmyo

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That said, I beg to differ with Jinmyo- I love Japanese grilling. Especially grilled fish.

smallworld, we actually agree. I think that Japanese cuisine does fish and seafood very very well.

Where we might disagree is in regards to meats. I feel that Korean and Chinese cuisines have a better grasp on working with the textures and flavour profiles.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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torakris

torakris

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sakana no shio-yaki (salt grilled fish) is one of the simplest and most delicious dishes ever.

And ayu (a Japanese river fish, I am not sure of the English name) is the best fish prepared this way!

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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smallworld

smallworld

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Jinmyo, true- Korea has got Japan beat when it comes to grilled meats (don't know about China)!

But luxury Japanese beef is so amazingly good it doesn't really matter how it's prepared. I actually never even liked beef or pork until I came to Japan, but now I'm hooked.

A favourite 'grilled' beef dish is 'hoba-yaki'- beef in some kind of miso sauce on a big leaf (a hoba leaf, to be exact), grilled over charcoal. I had this once with Matsuzaka beef and it was one of the best beef dishes I've ever had.

And yakitori is nothing to sneeze at either!

My eGullet foodblog: Spring in Tokyo

My regular blog: Blue Lotus

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torakris

torakris

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Shake no harasu -- grilled salmon bellies, very fatty and lovely, with crisp skin and a sprinkling of salt.  Oh, it just melts in your mouth!  :raz:

These are incredible! I had them for the first time at a friends BBQ last summer and couldn't stop eating it! :biggrin:

They have been a regular at almost every BBQ since then.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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some of my favorite yakimono are what I refer to as rest stop foods. These are foods that are common in rest areas along the major freeways. Besides discovering various local specialities I know I can always fids a soy sauce grilled squid, grilled mochi dango, some type of vegetables depending on the season and the location (corn, yaki-imo,etc)

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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smallworld

smallworld

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Sake no harasu! I've had that- delicious! But it's so rich I can only eat a bit.

Rest stops here are great, aren't they? We don't have a car so so don't drive often, but when we rent a car and go for a trip somewhere the rest stops are always a big highlight. I hate the drive to Yokohama or Kamakura from our place in suburban Tokyo, since there are not rest stops- what's the point of driving? Much better to head north and pick up some dango and o-yaki along the way!

My eGullet foodblog: Spring in Tokyo

My regular blog: Blue Lotus

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torakris

torakris

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I like the grilled rice balls.

Grilled rice balls (with soy or miso) and grilled mochi brushed with soy and wrapped in nori are some of the most comforting snacks! :biggrin:

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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  • 1 year later...
torakris

torakris

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幽庵焼き

yuan-yaki

Last night I grilled some saba (mackeral) in the yuan-yaki style, it was first marinated in some soy, sake, mirin and yuzu slices then grilled. The picture doesn't do justice for how good this is...

gallery_6134_549_13544.jpg

yuan-yaki isn't just for fish, I have seen chicken and even vegetables grilled with this marinade.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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