Many Japanese dishes require thinly sliced meat (beef and pork). Here are the most common types used in Japanese cooking.
Thinly Sliced Meat for Japanese Cooking
Besides the chicken, most of the meat dishes in Japanese cooking require thinly sliced beef and pork. The thickness of these meats is paper-thin. We may not use a big chunk of meat in our cooking but we do use good quality meat for these sliced meats.
Where to Find Thinly Sliced Meats
Japanese supermarkets sell this paper-thin meat in packages.
Different Types of Thinly Sliced Meats
1. Thinly Sliced Beef Chuck/Ribeye for Shabu Shabu
This cut of beef is used for Shabu Shabu, other hot pot dishes, Gyudon, Nikujaga, Teriyaki Steak Rolls, Niku Udon, and more.
2. Thinly Sliced Beef Chuck/Ribeye for Sukiyaki
This cut of beef is slightly thicker than one for Shabu Shabu and is used for Sukiyaki and other beef recipes.
3. Thinly Sliced Pork Loin for Shabu Shabu
This cut of pork is used for Shabu Shabu, other hot pot dishes, Nikujaga, Pork Rolls, and more.
4. Thinly Sliced Pork Loin for Ginger Pork (Shogayaki)
This cut of pork is slightly thicker than one for Shabu Shabu and is used for Ginger Pork (Shogayaki).
5. Thinly Sliced Pork Belly
This cut of pork is used for Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Soup), Honey Pork Belly, Mille-Feuille Nabe, Kimchi Nabe, Goya Champuru, and more.
6. Sliced Pork Scraps for Stir Fry (Komagire)
This cut of pork is used for stir-fries like Miso Pork and Eggplant Stir Fry, Yasai Itame, Yaki Udon, and more.
How to Slice Meat Thinly
If you don’t have access to a Japanese supermarket, follow my How To Slice Meat tutorial.
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