All-Purpose Miso Meat Sauce (Niku Miso)

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 knob ginger (1 inch, 2.5 cm) 1 2.5

½ Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) (you can use 2 green onions/scallions) 2

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

¾ lb ground pork (or use ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey; for vegan/vegetarian, use cubed firm tofu)

4 Tbsp miso

2 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp mirin

3 Tbsp sake

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp water

2 tsp potato starch or cornstarch

Directions

Gather all the ingredients.

Grate 1 knob ginger. Chop ½ Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) into small rounds.

In a bowl, combine the seasonings: 3 Tbsp mirin, 3 Tbsp sake, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.

Add 2 Tbsp water and 2 tsp potato starch or cornstarch. Mix it all together until everything is well combined.

To Cook the Niku Miso

Heat a saucepan or frying pan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil and the chopped negi. Coat the negi with the oil until fragrant.

Add ¾ lb ground pork and break up the meat with a spatula.

Add the grated ginger and cook the meat until no longer pink.

Add 4 Tbsp miso and 2 Tbsp sugar. Combine well.

Add the seasonings and cook on medium-low heat.

When the cooking liquid is reduced to your liking, turn off the heat. You can leave more or less sauce depending on how you want to use the Niku Miso. Transfer to a bowl or container. Serve hot along with steamed rice, noodles, or lettuce cups (see the post for ideas).

To Store

You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat only the portion you will serve. You can also freeze it up to 3–4 weeks.

Nutrition

• Calories: 368 kcal
• Total Fat: 23 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Cholesterol: 61 mg
• Sodium: 924 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 15 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 11 g
• Protein: 17 g