How to Cook Yakiniku

Yakiniku, the connection of two cultures.

Yakiniku is basically the Japanese word for barbeque, and comes from the verb "yaku", or "to broil, bake, roast, burn, grill" and "niku", or "meat". The process involves grilling cut up pieces of meat such as beef, chicken, pork and seafood, as well as vegetables. The barbequed food is eaten with yakiniku sauce. Yakiniku sauce, also called yakiniku no tare, is a soy based barbeque sauce for dipping the grilled food into, and comes in a range of spiciness levels. Its flavor is a little bit sweeter than American barbeque sauce.

Things You'll Need

• Grill
• Charcoal briquettes
• Lighter fluid
• Meat
• Vegetables
• Serrated knife
• Grilling tongs
• Meat thermometer
• Plate
• Yakiniku sauce

Instructions

1. Prepare the grill. Place the briquettes in the grill, douse them with lighter fluid in accordance with the directions, and light them.

2. Cut up the vegetables and the meat into bite-sized pieces using the serrated knife, a little before the grill is ready.

3. Place the meat and vegetables on the grill and allow them to cook. As the meat cooks, use the grilling tongs to turn meat so that it cooks evenly.

4. Grill the meat until it looks juicy and brown on the outside. Grill the vegetables until they are tender. Grill marks may occur on both. The length of this process depends on the meat and its thickness, and may range from 8 to 16 minutes. Insert the meat thermometer into the pieces of meat to find their internal temperature. Pork should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit, steak meat should reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit and chicken breast should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the finished yakiniku to the serving plate. Top with yakiniku sauce, or serve it on the side for dipping.

Tips & Warnings

• Instead of purchasing yakiniku sauce, make it. The ingredients of yakiniku sauce include such things as: soy sauce; mirin, a kind of sweetened cooking sake made from distilled sake; onion; sesame oil; garlic; apple cider vinegar; sake; and sugar. Don't be worry precision with the ingredients; local yakiniku restaurants may have their own varieties of yakiniku sauce.

• A ventilated grill will reduce smoke build up. In Japan, yakiniku restaurants may use gas or charcoal grills, so a gas grill is perfectly alright for authentic yakiniku.

• In Japan, yakiniku is considered to be Korean cuisine. To make your yakiniku more in keeping with Japan's understanding, eat it with some kimchi. Also, rice is considered a regular part of a meal, so it makes a nice authentic addition to the experience.

References

• "Japanese Cooking"; Emi Kazuko; 2005
• "Japanese -- English English- Japanese Dictionary; Langenscheidt Editorial Staff; 2005
• "Zainichi: Koreans in Japan"; John Lie; 2008
• "Fodor's Oahu, 2nd Edition: With Honolulu, Waikiki, and the North Shore"; Rachel Klein; 2008
• University of Illinois at Chicago: Yakiniku Recipe
• "To Japan with Love: A Travel Guide for the Connoisseur"; Celeste Heiter; 2009

Resources

• "Japan In the 21st Century"; Pradyumna Prasad Karan, Dick Gilbreath; 2005
• Mike's Blender: Food For Thought: Yakiniku
• "Tokyo"; Matthew Firestone; 2008