A mixture of savory and sweet flavors with bold sesame essence used to season grilled meats in Japanese cuisine.
Yakiniku Sauce for Grilled Japanese Meat
Yakiniku sauce is a term derived from the Japanese term yaki , which means “grilled,” and niku , which means “meat,” or “beef.” It is used broadly to describe various grilled and cooked meats, including American outdoor BBQ style meats and Korean style BBQ. Regardless of the cooking method, grilled meat is often served with a yakiniku dipping sauce, or it is seasoned with yakiniku sauce prior to being cooked.
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 1/2 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tsp roasted white sesame seeds (ground)
- 1/2 tsp roasted white sesame seeds
Directions
- Gather the ingredients.
- Peel and chop 1 garlic clove.
- In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.
- Heat over medium to high heat until sugar dissolves – about 3 minutes. Stir constantly to help dissolve sugar and to prevent burning. Allow the sauce to cool for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Using a strainer, pour the sauce into a small bowl to separate the garlic pieces. Discard the garlic.
- Add ground, roasted white sesame seeds and whole, roasted sesame seeds to the strained sauce in the bowl. Mix gently.
- The yakiniku sauce is now ready to use! Use to dip meats and vegetables, or as a sauce to pour over meat.
- The sauce may be stored in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days.
- The sauce has a concentrated flavor, so a little bit goes a long way. If you’re going to use it as a dipping sauce for yakiniku, for younger children, or for those that prefer a milder flavor, simply add a bit of hot water to the sauce to dilute it.
- The sauce can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for a quick, weeknight meal. My favorite way of using this yakiniku sauce is to stir-fry thin shabu-shabu or sukiyaki cuts of beef in a frying or griddle pan until well done then pour some of the sauce over the cooked meat, toss, and serve.
- Typical ingredients for making yakiniku sauce include soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sesame seeds. The addition of sesame oil and garlic adds more complexity and boldness to the sauce. The key to yakiniku sauce, however, is sesame seeds, and in this recipe, the addition of roasted, ground sesame seeds takes the sauce to an entirely new level of “wow.” The ground roasted sesame seeds impart a complexity of flavors that makes the sauce mouth-wateringly delicious.