Sobre esta receta

Yakitori es una amada comida callejera japonesa hecha de trozos pequeños de pollo ensartados y asados a la parrilla sobre carbón, bañados repetidamente con una salsa tare dulce y salada hasta quedar barnizados y caramelizados. Esta versión casera utiliza un asador o parrilla para lograr ese caramelo característico mientras mantiene todo accesible. La salsa tare — una mezcla brillante de salsa de soja, mirin, sake y azúcar — es el corazón del plato y sirve también como salsa para mojar. Sírvelo con cerveza fría, arroz al vapor y un espolvoreo de semillas de sésamo para una auténtica experiencia de izakaya en casa.

Instrucciones

1. 1

   If using wooden skewers, submerge them in water and soak for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning. Metal skewers need no soaking.

2. 2

   Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over ^[medium-high heat], stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to ^[medium-low] and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by about one-third and is slightly syrupy, about 10–12 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool — it will thicken further as it cools. Reserve half the sauce for basting and half for serving.

3. 3

   Pat the chicken thighs pieces dry with paper towels. Toss with the neutral oil and kosher salt in a bowl. Thread 4–5 pieces of chicken thighs snugly onto each skewer, folding any thin flaps of skin under so the meat is compact and even. Aim for about 8–10 skewers total.

4. 4

   GRILL METHOD: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to ^[medium-high heat]. Clean and oil the grates. Place skewers on the grill and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until the underside has grill marks. Flip and cook another 3 minutes. BROILER METHOD: Set your oven to broil (^[high]) and position a rack about 6 inches from the element. Place skewers on a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 5–6 minutes per side until lightly charred.

5. 5

   Once the chicken thighs is mostly cooked through (internal temp around %[155°F]), begin basting. Brush the skewers generously with the tare sauce, flip, and baste the other side. Cook for 1–2 minutes per side. Repeat this baste-flip-baste cycle 2–3 more times until the chicken thighs is deeply lacquered, caramelized, and registers %[165°F] internally. The sugars in the sauce will create a gorgeous, slightly charred glaze — watch closely to avoid burning.

6. 6

   Transfer the finished skewers to a serving platter. Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve the reserved tare sauce in a small bowl alongside for dipping. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi if desired for a light kick.