No need to save room for dessert when you can eat it with your meat!

Mitarashi dango, pictured above, are one of Japan’s most classic comfort foods. The skewered mochi dumplings (dango) are basted with a sweet soy glaze and grilled, making every bite a melty, sticky mouthful of deliciousness.

Of course, there are few things in life that aren’t improved by wrapping them in pork, so that’s exactly what we’re doing today, following the recipe of YouTube chef Kengyo Shufu no Ken.

The ingredient list is short and simple. You’ll need:

● A pack of mitarashi dango (if you can’t find them pre-made at the grocery store or your local Japanese market, you can buy mochi rice cakes and mitarashi glaze separately, then combine them yourself)
● Pork belly strips (we used 120 grams [4.2 ounces] for three skewers)
● Salt
● Pepper

Step 1: Wrap the strips of pork belly around the dumpling skewers. You’ll want to wrap them snugly and make sure none of the glaze is left exposed, since if it is it’ll singe during cooking.

Step 2: Grab a frying pan and turn your stove to medium heat. Once the pan warms up, line the skewers up in it and sprinkle on a pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 3: Let the skewers cook for two minutes, then rotate them 180 degrees, add another pinch of salt and pepper, and cook the other side. You’ll know it’s time to make the turn when they look like they do here:

Step 4: Once the second side is cooked, turn the skewers again to cook each remaining side (i.e. you’ll eventually cook four sides).

Once all sides are cooked, you’re done!

When we turned off the heat and plated our batch, the skewers certainly looked tasty, and the the scent of the sweet soy glaze filled SoraNews24 headquarters. But while they looked and smelled good, how would they taste? This is, after all, a combination of meat and a dessert.

It turns out we needn’t have worried. Just one bite was all we needed to know that pork-wrapped mitarashi dango taste fantastic! Because the mitarashi glaze is soy-based, it’s both sweet and salty, and combined with the juicy, succulent pork belly, they’re a match made in unexpected heaven.

▼ Kengyo Shufu no Ken’s demonstration

So if you’re looking for an innovative but thoroughly approachable new flavor experience, or just attracted to the efficiency of combining your protein course and dessert, this is definitely a recipe to add to your repartee.

Related: YouTube/「兼業主夫ケンのキャンプ飯チャンネル」
Photos © SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]