Last week I had some leftover lean pork and decided to look for a new recipe. I wanted something simple, quick, light, but nourishing and found the perfect meal at Nami’s Just One Cookbook blog. Her Mashed Potato Teriyaki Pork Rolls are flavoursome, incredibly easy (I was afraid they would require tooth picks to keep together, but the thin meat strips stick together and the rolls don’t fall apart) and already count among my favourite pork dishes (of course my rolls are not as neat and equally sized as Nami’s). Just like Oyakodon I presented last week, this is one of these Japanese universal meals, which, made more popular, would have a huge success all around the world. It is one more dish breaking the raw fish and seaweed stereotypical view of the Japanese cuisine.

The teriyaki rolls’ preparation was the first time I used my new, very sharp knife (I have bought I admit because of its funny colour and its low price) and discovered it can cut 2 mm thin strips! If you don’t have a very thin knife, I would advise freezing the meat a bit and then cut it half-frozen. I have always managed to obtain very thin strips. As usually I couldn’t stop myself from slight modifications. I used chives instead of green onions and skipped the vinegar in the teriyaki sauce.

I had these rolls for dinner with a salad, but I see them very well, with toothpicks, on a finger food party! I have forgotten to emphasize they are a very creative way to use up two leftover potatoes.

Preparation: about 40 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2):

12 thin strips of lean pork (mine were approx. 2 mm thick)

2 big potatoes

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons oil

Teriyaki sauce:

3 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons soy sauce (or 4 if you have low sodium soy sauce)

1 teaspoons sugar

3 tablespoons sake

Cook the potatoes, peel them and mash them.

Combine them with the butter, the salt and the chives.

Take a small portion of the mashed potatoes, roll it and place it at the end of a pork roll.

Roll it tightly and put aside.

Do the same with all the pork strips.

Heat some oil in a pan.

Fry the rolls (sealed side down) on a medium heat until they are well browned (it will take about 15 minutes).

Pour the teriyaki sauce over the rolls and roll them, coating well in the sauce for one minute.

Transfer the rolls to a plate and garnish with the remaining sauce.