Featured Comment:
“My family loved this recipe. The only request was to double the BBQ sauce next time. I did may one alteration – I reduced the dashi because my family finds that taste strong. I will gradually increase this as we get accustomed to its flavor.”
– Dona
What is Yakiton?
Yakitori may have gained worldwide recognition now, but have you heard of Yakiton (やきとん)? It’s really quite simple! It’s like a pork version of Yakitori, and it’s just as delicious!
It’s said to have become popular as a black market food in the Kanto (Eastern Japan) region after the war. It’s similar to yakitori, made from all kinds of pork, from the usual belly to the less common offal.
In terms of flavor, some restaurants use the same type of sauce as Yakitori, while others use a richer type like miso-based sauce. So basically, it’s more customizable than Yakitori. In this recipe, I made a miso-based sauce that perfectly pairs with rich pork!
How I Developed This Recipe
The funny thing is, Yakiton isn’t well known in Aichi Prefecture, where I was born and raised. When I visited Tokyo, a friend introduced me to a Yakiton pub, and it was my first time trying it. Absolutely delicious! There are so many Yakiton specialty pubs in Tokyo, and it was quite a culture shock for me.
As a side note, the fact that food culture is so different from region to region is one of the biggest charms of Japanese cuisine.
The Yakiton I tried was so good that I just had to try to make it myself! I decided to use miso as the base for the sauce to give it a different flavor from yakitori, and I made it a little less sweet to create a rich and savory sauce. It turned out really delicious, so I encourage you to give it a try!
Popular Pork Parts & Key Ingredients
At yakiton specialty restaurants, similar to yakitori, all different parts of pork are grilled on skewers. The most commonly seen parts are as follows:
- Pork shoulder: This is the most readily available part and has a good balance of fat and lean meat. It is recommended to choose a block with a little more fat than usual for this recipe, as it makes all the difference!
- Pork belly: Sliced thickly from a slab, it makes a nicely fatty yakiton.
- Pork neck: This is a very fatty part, called “tontoro” in Japan.
- Tongue: If you love the texture of pork tongue, this is the perfect cut for you!
And now for some great suggestions for other ingredients besides pork!
- Japanese leek: I love using “naganegi” when I make this dish, which is a type of leek that’s really common in Japanese cooking. If you can’t find naganegi, regular leeks work great too! Just avoid using scallions, as they are not thick enough.
- Sake: One tip I really want to share is to use inexpensive drinking sake rather than anything labeled “cooking sake”. Most cooking sakes have salt added to them, so if you do end up having to use cooking sake, make sure to reduce the salt elsewhere in the recipe.
- Red miso paste: For this recipe, I highly recommend using red miso from the Sendai region instead of the Hatcho style. If you’re in a pinch and can’t get Sendai red miso, a darker yellow miso is an acceptable backup option. Just steer clear of white miso as it is too sweet and mild for this recipe.
- Chili powder: To add a bit of heat, I like to use cayenne pepper. It gives a nice kick without being overpowering.
- A few other things you’ll need: sugar, garlic paste (or grated garlic), toasted sesame oil, and some dashi granules.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Yakiton at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. I will also include more in-depth tips and tricks than the recipe card.
First, combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the temperature and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
While it’s simmering, stir constantly until the sauce becomes smooth and thickens up nicely.
Next, cut the leeks into pieces about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long.
Then, slice the pork shoulder so that the pieces are the same size as the leek chunks.
To make the skewers, I alternately thread pork and leek onto the sticks, starting and ending with a piece of pork. I will get five pieces of pork on each finished skewer.
Preheat a grill or broiler to high. Put the skewers on, add black pepper, and grill for five minutes. I recommend placing foil underneath the grill to catch the drips and make clean up easier later.
Then flip and grill the other side for five more minutes.
Brush sauce on the top of the skewers and grill for 2 minutes. Flip again, brush the other side, and grill for a final 2 minutes.
If using an outdoor grill or charcoal, watch the skewers carefully, as the high heat can burn the pork. If needed, move them to an area with less intense heat.
I hope you enjoy this Yakiton recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Japanese Pork Recipes
- Buta no Shogayaki (Japanese Ginger Pork)
- Best Tonkatsu (Deep-fried Japanese Pork Cutlet）
- Authentic Osaka Style Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Pancake)
- Tonjiru (Butajiru) Japanese Pork Miso Soup
Want more inspiration? Explore my Pork Recipe Roundup Post for a carefully selected collection of tasty recipe ideas to spark your next meal!
Yakiton (Japanese Grilled Pork Skewers)
Ingredients
- 350 g pork shoulder
- 2 Japanese leeks (naganegi) white part
- salt and pepper
Miso Tare
- 80 ml sake
- 2 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase miso)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp dashi granules
- 1 tsp chili powder
Instructions
- Take a sauce pan and add 80 ml sake, 2 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase miso), 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp garlic paste, ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp dashi granules and 1 tsp chili powder.
- Mix well and bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it starts to bubble, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened, then remove from the heat.
- Cut the white parts of 2 Japanese leeks (naganegi) into 2-3cm pieces (approximately 1 inch).
- Cut the 350 g pork shoulder into cubes so that the thickness is equal to the size of the leeks.
- Start preheating your grill or broiler on high. While you wait, push the pork and Japanese leek pieces onto skewers, starting with pork and alternating between pork and leeks. There should be 3 pieces of pork and two pieces of leek on each skewer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Once the grill is preheated, lightly grease the wire rack and arrange the skewers on so that they will be underneath the heat source. Grill for 5 minutes on each side.
- Brush the top with the prepared miso sauce and grill for 2 minutes, then repeat on the other side.
- Serve and enjoy!
My family loved this recipe. The only request was to double the BBQ sauce next time. I did may one alteration – I reduced the dashi because my family finds that taste strong. I will gradually increase this as we get accustomed to its flavor.
Hi Dona,
Thank you for trying this recipe and sharing your experience! I’m glad to hear that your family enjoyed it! 🙂
Yuto