Kinako recipes

Kuromitsu porkchop with kinako powder


September 21, 2008 • View Comments

in Dinner, Dinner party, Experimental Recipes, Pork



This dish was used as part of a 1 night “restaurant” held out of our apartment as part of the Foodbuzz 24,24,24 launch event.

Kuromitsu and Kinako are commonly used in Japanese desserts. You’ll often find rice cake (mochi) desserts rolled in the sawdust-colored kinako powder and kuromitsu is commonly used in kanten (Japanese jello) desserts. They’re even used together in Kuzumochi which is a dessert made from kudzu starch and topped with kuromitsu and kinako.

Literally translated as “black honey”, kuromitsu is a dark syrup similar to molasses made from raw sugar. Kinako on the other hand is a fine tan powder that’s made from ground toasted soy beans and has a nutty earthy flavour.

In this dish, the sauce and powder bring out the deep flavours of the pork while covering the unpleasant undertones. The sugar in the brine creates a nice brown crust on the meat while the inside remains tender and moist. Because I couldn’t actually find kuromitsu here I improvised with a mix of brown sugar and molasses. Unfortunately there isn’t really a substitute for kinako powder, but there are a couple online shops selling it if you do a search on Google.

As many of you know, the ethos of this blog is about not cooking from recipes, but I find that some cookbooks make for a good source of inspiration while others are a great reference for technique. I learned this technique for cooking perfect pork chops from The Best Recipe cookbook. The key is to pan sear the chops, transfer them to a hot oven, then remove them before they hit the desired temperature, allowing them to finish cooking while they “rest”.

Lastly if you’re making this in multiple batches for a large group, I’d suggest making the sauce ahead of time using a few teaspoons of demi-glace instead of making the pan sauce on the spot.

for brine

3/4 C brown sugar

1/2 C kosher salt

2 Tbs minced garlic

1 Tbs ground black pepper

1 Tsp ground cinnamon

10 whole cloves

1 C hot water + 5 cups cold water

4 bone in loin cut pork chops about 1″ thick

for the pan sauce

pan used to sear the pork

1/4 C red wine

1/4 C molasses

1/4 C dark brown sugar

pinch of salt

black pepper

kinako powder for serving

About 6 hours before you’re ready to cook the pork, put the sugar, salt, and spices in a heavy duty ziplock bag then add 1 cup of hot water. Seal the bag and shake the bag to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the cold water then add the pork chops. Seal the bag trying to squeeze out as much air as you can (so the chops are completely submerged). Refrigerate until you’re ready to cook them.

About 10-15 minutes before you’re ready to cook the chops, remove the pork chops from the brine and dry each one with paper towels. Allow them to come to room temperature to ensure even cooking. Place a pan in the oven on the upper middle shelf and pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.

When the oven is heated and the chops are at room temperature, heat a cast iron pan or other heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat until very hot. Add a splash of oil, swirl to coat, then carefully place the pork chops in the pan. Leave them undisturbed for about 2 minutes or until a nice brown crust has formed. Flip and cook until browned on the second side.

Transfer the pork chops to the oven and cook until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chop (near the bone) reads 127 degrees F, about 5-8 minutes. Remove the chops from the oven, place on a plate and cover with foil. Allow the pork to rest for 5-10 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 147 degrees F. You should know that the USDA recommends that pork is cooked to 160 degrees to be “safe”. Unfortunately, at that temperature, you’ll end up with hockey pucks, so proceed at your own discretion.

While the chops are in the oven, deglaze the hot pan you used to sear the pork in with red wine, scrapping all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the molasses and brown sugar and cook down until it’s thick and syrupy. Salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, just plate the pork chops and drizzle the sauce on top. Make a pile of kinako powder next to the pork chops to dip the pork in.



http://www.norecipes.com/2008/09/21/kuromitsu-porkchop-with-kinoko-powder/



http://www.deliciouscoma.com/archives/2006/05/kinako.html



« the sushi party
Main
the reinvention of sushi »

May 3, 2006

kinako



Kinako is toasted soybean flour or, as I thought of it for the first few months in Japan, that weird powder they always put on mochi. It has a nutty flavor that reminds me a bit of peanut butter, especially when I sprinkle it on buttered toast, which is a favorite way to eat it here. Mixing it with some brown sugar and cinnamon before putting it on the toast makes a more substantial version of plain cinnamon-and-sugar-topped toast, but, since my prime kinako-toast-eating time is right after work, I am usually too lazy to do more than just dole it straight out of the bag. Kinako is also good as a yogurt or ice cream topping, especially when that ice cream is additionally topped with an (sweet bean jam). According to the back of my kinako package, it also makes a nutritious drink when mixed with milk, but I'll have to take their word for it since the thought of drinking a tall glass of milk always makes me want to gag. Unless there are brownies involved. I'm willing to make a lot of exceptions for brownies.



Kinako on toasted azuki-bean bread.

Since it is made of ground and toasted soybeans, kinako is full of protein, B vitamins and other soy-licious things, so in addition to finding it at Japanese or Asian grocery stores, you can also find it at natural foods stores.

Pocky has a kinako flavor, but unfortunately it was only in stores during the That Weird Powder phase, so I haven't tried it.

Some kinako recipes:

Kinako pancakes

Kinako ice cream

Kinako frosting



kinako pancakes



These pancakes have a nutty taste and more protein and B vitamins than your average pancake. They also have a tendency to stick to the pan, so use a nonstick skillet and butter it a bit before you add the batter. Also, buttermilk is unheard of in Japan, so I use a mixture of whole milk and plain yogurt. You could use a cup of buttermilk instead.

Kinako Pancakes

Makes about 8 4-inch pancakes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup kinako (toasted soy flour)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

dash of salt

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup whole milk

1 egg

3 Tbs melted butter

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Stir together the yogurt and milk, then add to the flour mixture. Add the egg and butter, then stir to combine. Lumpiness is okay.

Heat a nonstick skillet over a medium-low flame and add some butter or a bit of oil. Pour the batter into the skillet, about a half-cup for each pancake. When the edges of the pancakes look dry, flip them to cook the other side. Keep the finished pancakes warm in a low oven (250°F) until you are done making all of them.

Serve with butter, maple syrup and extra kinako for sprinkling on top.