Koji-Marinated Pork Loin Recipe

Klementine Song, chef de cuisine at Los Angeles restaurant Tsubaki, calls for both shio koji and liquid shio koji. The latter is made by pressing shio koji and extracting its liquid, which is great in marinades, broths, and soups.

For the honey, Song recommends a light amber variety for its floral overtones.

Ingredients

1 cup shio koji

1 cup liquid shio koji

1 Tbsp. finely grated garlic

1 Tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger

1 Tbsp. honey, preferably light amber

Four 8-oz. boneless pork loin steaks

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more if needed and for coating

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the shio koji, liquid shio koji, garlic, ginger, and honey. Add the pork and toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 1 day.

Wipe off any excess marinade from the steaks, then lightly coat with vegetable oil. To a large nonstick skillet over high heat, add the vegetable oil. When it’s hot and shimmering, working in batches, add the pork and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loin reads 145°F, 10–12 minutes per batch. (If the marinade starts to burn in between batches, wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and add 2 tablespoons more vegetable oil.) Transfer the pork to a cutting board and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

Cut the pork into ¼-inch-thick slices and transfer to a platter. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with flaky salt, and serve warm.