These miso chicken and pork skewers are onolicious (our local slang in Hawaii for describing something that is exceptionally tasty). When I discovered these on Joshua Bousel’s Meatwave blog I knew I had to make them ASAP.
The glaze takes these skewers over the top. Perfectly balanced with lots of umami flavors, it is tart, sweet, and salty.
The original recipe calls for ground chicken (preferably thighs) which I couldn’t find in any of the local markets I shop at. The first time I made these with Mary’s ground chicken breast I bought at Whole Foods. The skewers were delicious albeit a tad dry due to using lean breast meat.
The next time I decided to incorporate some ground pork with the ground chicken to add a bit of richness to the mixture. It turned out to be the ideal combination.
Getting the ground meat mixture formed onto the skewers can seem a bit tricky at first. The mixture is sticky, so use disposable gloves or wet your hands before forming it onto the skewers.
Speaking of skewers, wide, metal skewers are the ticket. The meat will stay in place without spinning while cooking (avoid thin or round skewers).
We do a lot of grilling on our gas grill but for this recipe a hibachi (we use this one) or charcoal grill is key to achieving the best flavor.
We vacuum pack and freeze leftovers then use them in a sandwich similar to a banh mi. It’s divine served in a French roll stuffed with cilantro, cabbage (mixed with sriracha mayo) and cowboy candy (candied jalapeños).
Grilled Miso Chicken & Pork Skewers
8
servingsSpecial equipment: Flat metal skewers, instant read thermometer
Adapted from Joshua Bousel’s recipe
Ingredients
- Glaze
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon white or light yellow miso paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Chicken & Pork
1/2 pound ground chicken (breast or thighs)
1/2 pound ground pork (or substitute with 1/2 pound ground chicken)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons white or light miso paste
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground white pepper (I highly recommend using ground white pepper though 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper may be used if white is not available)
Directions
- To Make the Glaze
- In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, whisk together the lime juice, mirin, soy sauce, brown sugar, miso paste, sesame oil, and crushed red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until sauce is thick and syrupy, about 8 minutes. Lower heat as needed to avoid burning the glaze. Remove and set aside.
- To Make the Skewers
- Cover a large tray or pan with plastic wrap. You will use this for the formed meat skewers.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground chicken and ground pork, bread crumbs, green onions, egg, miso paste, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and white pepper. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions. Using disposable gloves, form each portion into a skewer-length cylinder Press skewer into meat mixture and form meat around the skewer, making sure the meat is firmly pressed together and the ends are tightly secured around the skewer. Place each skewer on prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining meat. Cover skewers with plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to use. - Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all of the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals evenly over entire surface of charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place skewers on grill and let cook until the first side is well seared, about 3 minutes. Flip skewers and continue to cook, flipping occasionally, until well seared all over and internal temperature of meat registers 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 6-8 minutes more.
- Brush meat all over with the glaze and continue to cook flipping occasionally, until glaze has set, about 2 minutes more. Transfer skewers to a serving tray. Remove skewers and serve.
Notes
- Leftover meat can be vacuum sealed and frozen for a few months.