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All-Purpose Miso Meat Sauce (Niku Miso)
4.9 from 146 votes

All-Purpose Miso Meat Sauce (Niku Miso)

All-Purpose Miso Meat Sauce, also called Niku Miso, features ground pork cooked with grated ginger, green onion, toasted sesame oil, and a combination of miso paste and sugar. The sauce is seasoned with mirin, sake, soy sauce, and thickened slightly with potato starch. This savory, slightly sweet sauce can be served hot over steamed rice, noodles, or wrapped in lettuce cups, providing a versatile condiment for meals.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4 (as
Calories: 368 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

  • 1 knob ginger (1 inch, 2.5 cm)
  • ½ green onion you can use 2 green onions/scallions, aka Tokyo negi, naga negi, long green onion
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil toasted
  • ¾ lb ground pork (or use ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey; for vegan/vegetarian, use cubed firm tofu)
  • 4 Tbsp miso paste
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
For the Seasonings
  • 3 Tbsp mirin
  • 3 Tbsp sake
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 2 tsp potato starch or cornstarch

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Gather all the ingredients.
  2. Grate 1 knob ginger. Chop ½ Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) into small rounds.
  3. In a bowl, combine the seasonings: 3 Tbsp mirin, 3 Tbsp sake, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.
  4. Add 2 Tbsp water and 2 tsp potato starch or cornstarch. Mix it all together until everything is well combined.
To Cook the Niku Miso
  1. Heat a saucepan or frying pan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil and the chopped negi. Coat the negi with the oil until fragrant.
  2. Add ¾ lb ground pork and break up the meat with a spatula.
  3. Add the grated ginger and cook the meat until no longer pink.
  4. Add 4 Tbsp miso and 2 Tbsp sugar. Combine well.
  5. Add the seasonings and cook on medium-low heat.
  6. When the cooking liquid is reduced to your liking, turn off the heat. You can leave more or less sauce depending on how you want to use the Niku Miso. Transfer to a bowl or container. Serve hot along with steamed rice, noodles, or lettuce cups (see the post for ideas).
To Store
  1. You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat only the portion you will serve. You can also freeze it up to 3–4 weeks.

Nutrition Information

Calories 368kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 15g (5%) Protein 17g (34%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Cholesterol 61mg (20%) Sodium 924mg (39%) Potassium 339mg (7%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 11g (22%) Vitamin A 81IU (2%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 29mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 (as

Amount Per Serving

Calories 368

% Daily Value*

Calories 368kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 15g 5%
Protein 17g 34%
Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Sodium 924mg 39%
Potassium 339mg 7%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 11g 22%
Vitamin A 81IU 2%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 29mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.