When residing in a house and compound where space is limited, the best portable flat top grill is a piece of convenient equipment to consider. Such a piece of equipment only requires a small space but cooks a wide range of Japanese-styled food.
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Why Cook Japanese Food on a Flat Top Grill
When you can’t lay your hands on hibachi or teppanyaki grills, a flat top grill becomes the next best thing for cooking Japanese food because of the following reasons:
Reaches High Temperature Easily
It’s easy to set a flat top grill to cook at a high temperature. Besides, it also makes it effortless to precisely adjust temperature at various levels. For that reason, it’s possible to cook vegetables on a griddle and preserve all the valuable nutrients.
Large Flat Even Surface
Just like the name implies, a flat top grill has a large even cooking surface. Hence, it allows you to cook multiple dishes at the same time without facing any congestion.
For example, when preparing breakfast on a flat top grill[how to cook breakfast on a flat top grill], you can cook eggs, potato fries, bacon, and even pancake.
What Sauces Do You Use When Cooking Japanese Food On a Flat Top Grill?
When preparing Japanese foods, there is a wide range of sauces you can use depending on your preference. That includes the Yum Yum sauce, ginger sauce, and soy sauce.
How to Cook Japanese Food on a Flat Top Grill?
Prepare the Sauces that You’ll Need
The initial step is to prepare the sauces that you’ll need and refrigerate them till their need arises.
So, prepare the yum yum sauce in a mixing bowl by combining ketchup, mayonnaise, sweet paprika, garlic powder, white sugar, and rice wine vinegar. Keep it in the fridge preferably overnight.
Preheat the Flat Top Grill
Preheat your flat top grill to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then apply a thin coat of vegetable oil to the griddle.
Add the Pieces of Meat
Assuming you had cut the meat or chicken into bite sizes, dip the pieces in soy sauce and then load them on the griddle. Let the first side cook for about 4 minutes. After that flip with a spatula and allow the second side to cook equally for another 4 minutes.
Cook the Vegetables
Next is to cook the vegetables such as carrots, vegetables, bean sprouts, onions, and zucchini. It isn’t easy to cook all the vegetables mentioned above at once. So, the best option is to cook them in batches.
And when cooking each batch, add a little bit of butter and garlic powder. If your flattop grill is large, push aside each batch of vegetables that is ready to one side of the griddle. That way it gives you extra cooking space and keeps the vegetable warm.
Each of the vegetables may take about 3 to 5 minutes to cook fully. However, keep a check to ensure that they don’t overcook. Continue cooking while stirring frequently till they are ready.
Serve With Your Favorite Side Dish
Once the vegetable is done, serve alongside the bite-sized meat cooked before. When cooking Japanese-style food, you can also cook chicken on the flat top grill[how to cook chicken on a flat top grill] to match with the veggies instead of the red meat.
While the food is still warm serve with the previously prepared Yum Yum and garlic sauce. Take them out of the fridge and use them immediately to reap superior taste.
Conclusion
Japanese food mixture of protein and veggies is easy to cook on the griddle. But you can make the process simpler by getting ready the ingredients before cooking time.
Did you know that it’s easy to transform your usual grill into a flat top grill[how to make a flat top grill]? All you need is a griddle plate of a matching size! So if you cant afford a brand new griddle try assembling one.