Fast and easy to make. Pork Shiso is delicious! Pork belly and shiso leaves are rolled together and lightly pan fried with a tasty sauce. Eat plain or with a big bowl of rice ^_^
Pork Shiso is a popular weekday dish in our home. It's delicate enough to feel special, but comes together fast (less than 30 minutes from start to finish) and you don't need any special equipment.
Plus it's a "complete" dish because you get the greens (shiso) and meat (pork) in the same dish. Pair with a bowl of rice and you are set!
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Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
- Thinly sliced pork belly - you can find thinly sliced pork belly at Japanese markets, they are perfect for this recipe.
- Shiso leaves
- Soy sauce
- Mirin
- Sake
See recipe card for quantities.
What Is Shiso?
Shiso is an herb that is part of the mint family. It's a soft, leafy herb and has a delicate citrus-like flavor. You can purchase shiso at most Japanese markets (and some bigger Asian markets).
Shiso is super delicious! We cut sashimi often at home, and usually eat it with rice, shiso, and nori.
The only downside is that shiso is rather pricey, especially considering how much of it we use. In Hawaii, we can purchase a 10 pack of shiso for $2.50 at Nijiya (we like the location at Ala Moana Shopping Center). We use 20 shiso leaves for this recipe, so that's $5 for just shiso alone!
We tried growing shiso at home last year, but it didn't work. Perhaps we will try again this year...wish us luck ^_^
P.S. Make sure to try our Ume Shiso Rice, it's very good. And the next time you make Mentaiko Pasta you can top it with shiso in addition to the nori.
Instructions
Let's get cooking!
Cut all the pork belly slices in half (crosswise). Set aside.
Place one pork belly slice on a plate (put the short side of the pork belly nearest you). Place one shiso leaf on top of the pork.
Roll it up tightly (if the rolls are loose it will come apart when cooking).
Repeat until you've used all the pork belly and shiso. There should be 20 pieces.
In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Set aside.
In a large pan over high heat, pan fry the rolled pork belly and shiso pieces until they are nicely browned on all sides. This should just take about 5 minutes.
Try to space out the rolls (I didn't space them out that well in the photo above - I should have done two separate batches or used a bigger pan). Spacing out the rolls will help it brown better.
Once the rolls are nice and brown, turn the heat to low and pour the sauce mixture into the pan. Let the sauce cook down and lightly coat the rolls.
Turn off the heat. Remove the rolls onto a plate. Top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds (optional).
Drizzle on any extra sauce left in the pan. Eat hot and enjoy ^_^
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few fun ideas:
- Garlic - Tuck in a few pieces of super thinly sliced garlic in the roll. Just place it on top of the shiso leave and roll it up together.
- Sugar - Add a pinch of sugar to the sauce mixture. Just a little bit of sugar helps to round out the flavors.
- Skip the sauce, add salt and pepper - If you don't have ingredients for the sauce on hand, you can skip it. Yes! It's be a completely different dish but still delicious. In place of that, top of the rolls with fresh ground pepper and sea salt right before eating.
Enjoy!
Storage
This is best eaten hot, fresh off the frying pan. Leftovers will keep 1-2 days and you can reheat it in the microwave though it won't be nearly as tasty as when you enjoy it fresh!
Top Tip
Make sure to roll the pork belly and shiso leave together as tightly as possible. If they're too loose, they will definitely unravel as you cook them.
Also! Place the rolls seam side down when you first cook them. The heat will "seal" the seam and help prevent unraveling.
FAQ
I love making this for a simple but thoughtful lunch. It's perfect for two people. Enjoy it with a big bowl of rice!
It's also great when enjoyed as a pupu (that's what we call appetizers/snacks in Hawaii). SO GOOD with a nice cold beer.
Please go out of your way to find it. You can technically make this dish with other leafy/soft herbs that pair well with pork, but the magical taste of shiso is what really makes this dish special.
Good and tasty vegetable dishes that are not complicated to make! A few favorites include Choy Sum, Garlic and Fish Sauce Ong Choy (aka Chinese water spinach), and Garlic and Ginger Green Beans.
Pork Shiso Recipe
Pork Shiso
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut all the pork belly slices in half (crosswise). Set aside.
- Place one pork belly slice on a plate. Place one shiso leaf on top of the pork.
- Roll it up tightly (if the rolls are loose it will come apart when cooking). Repeat until you've used all the pork belly and shiso. There should be 20 pieces.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Set aside.
- In a large pan over high heat, pan fry the rolled pork belly and shiso pieces until they are nicely browned on all sides. This should just take about 5 minutes.
- Once browned, turn the heat to low and pour the sauce mixture into the pan. Let the sauce cook down and lightly coat the rolls.
- Turn off the heat. Remove the rolls onto a plate. Top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds (optional). Drizzle on any extra sauce left in the pan. Eat hot and enjoy ^_^
Nutrition
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Mahalo for Reading!