Teriyaki Glaze

Teriyaki Glazed Chicken on a Pineapple Plank

     The word teriyaki derives from the Japanese noun teri, which refers to a shine or luster given by the sugar content in the teri, and yaki, which refers to the cooking method of grilling or broiling. Traditionally the meat is dipped in or brushed with sauce several times during cooking.  This salty-sweet sauce is delicious on fish, poultry, pork, and beef.   Basic recipes I've seen have 3 main ingredients - soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.

     Like many people these days I'm attempting to watch my intake of corn-syrup and other additives.  On a trip to the grocer the other day I found myself reading ingredient lists and many of them left me tongue-tangled and confounded.  It's no secret corn-starch and corn-syrup are widely used as thickeners but that doesn't mean I have to eat them.  I don't like the flavor, texture, or cloudiness this thickener produces.  A finished glaze should be shiny and clear.  There should be teri in your yaki!

     There are some store-brands I like, but I find the vast majority of them lack complexity (especially the cheap ones).  I prefer teriyaki with a citrusy/ginger note.  To the basic ingredients I like to add fresh ginger and citrus rinds (orange, lime, lemon, and pineapple).  I also use brown sugar instead of white.  As with many things, time is the ultimate ingredient.  When I make a glaze I let it reduce a little further than usual.  This makes a little goes a long way and if you need it thinner - you can always dilute it with water or stock.  Use it as a marinade, a glaze, or a dip.  It's fantastic.

~Ingredients:
10 oz soy sauce
5 oz mirin
5 oz rice vinegar
4 oz pineapple rind
4 oz citrus rind (orange, lemon, lime)
0.5 oz garlic (minced)
1 oz fresh ginger (minced)
6 tblsp brown sugar

~Method:

• In a large saucepan combine all ingredients and set over med-high heat until boiling.  Reduce heat to a mild simmer and let the liquids reduce and the sauce holds to the back of a spoon.  A 60% reduction yields just over a cup of finished sauce.
• Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the solids. 

~Yield:
1 cup sauce.