The new school year has started and if you need new inspiration for what to pack for yourself or your children, try this easy and flavorful Ginger Pork Onigirazu (豚の生姜焼きおにぎらず) in your lunch menu routine!
How to Make Ginger Pork Onigirazu
Ginger Pork or Buta no Shogayaki (豚の生姜焼き) is a Japanese dish that is often made at home or enjoyed at Teishoku-ya (lunch set menu restaurant) in Japan. This dish might be new to you as it’s not as well-known as Japanese Teriyaki dishes, so your local Japanese restaurants might not offer this on their menu. However, if you love ginger and soft tender pork slices, I guarantee you’ll love this dish. It’s such an easy and quick dish to make for your busy weekday nights. If you are not a fan of ginger, you can reduce the amount (use just a hint of it). Please take a look at my Ginger Pork recipe for inspiration.
Ginger Pork (Shogayaki)
What is Onigirazu?
Onigirazu is a rice ball (onigiri or omusubi in Japanese) that is not formed into the traditional round or triangle shape. It is usually a square or rectangular shape. You “sandwich” the savory fillings with steamed rice, just like how you would make a sandwich with 2 pieces of bread.
Unlike traditional ongiri or omusubi, you can put more fillings inside onigirazu than traditional rice balls as the shape is square/rectangular. You can also spread the fillings just like how you lay them out for a sandwich. After you make the rice sandwich, you wrap it up with a sheet of nori and cut it in half to serve or pack in your lunch box (I use Magewappa – you can purchase a similar one here). If you want to learn more about onigirazu and its origin/history, please read this post.
Onigirazu Mold for Ginger Pork Onigirazu
Many of you have asked me about my wooden onigirazu mold. This beautiful mold was a gift from Mark, a JOC reader from Oregon. He handcrafted this mold with Port Orford cedar and there is not a single nail used in this mold! For those of you who are interested in this mold, please check out his Etsy page!
If you want to check out other bento ideas, read 15 Back to School Easy Bento Ideas & Recipes. Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
