Meats

I have included many modern, Western-inspired recipes in this book that use a good deal more meat than you might expect for Japanese food. Meat is, of course, widely available and regularly used in Japanese cooking today, but because it typically is only one element of the dish, rather than the focus, it is often ground or very thinly sliced.

Some of my chicken recipes call for ground chicken. I use dark meat only, as it contributes good flavor and succulence. Sometimes it is difficult to find ground chicken, but Asian markets almost always have it. You can grind your own in a food processor, using boneless, skinless thighs (or ask your butcher to do it). For other recipes, I have specified boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat.