🌮 James' Food Corner 🍜

It's always a good week when Japanese-style katsu is on the menu. I prefer to use chicken thighs over pork cutlets (tonkatsu) to achieve a good balance between crispy exterior and perfectly-cooked meat. Dredge the thinned-out chicken thighs with flour, egg, and panko breading before shallow frying. But the crispy katsu isn't complete without white rice and a heavy drizzle of specialty katsu sauce (e.g. Bulldog brand).

Among the many culinary masterpieces of Peruvian cooking, lomo saltado is simply unbeatable for me. Stir fry thin strips of steak in soy sauce, oyster sauce, and aji amarillo paste along with red onion, scallions, and tomatoes. Don't forget to serve with both white rice and french fries!

Carnitas (literally meaning "little pieces of meat") are made by simmering pork its own fat, and are a must-have when I make tacos. Making carnitas from scratch is not a quick process, but it is worth the wait. I cut a whole pork shoulder into pieces and braise the meat for two hours in lard with onion, orange, coca cola, evaporated milk, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, and cumin (along the lines of this example). If you desire crispiness, sear the pork after braising and before shredding.

Tip! Save your leftover carnitas (if there are any left) to make quesadillas for lunch!

Located in downtown ballard, El Moose is a great spot for authentic Mexican food. The carnitas tacos are somewhat small, but delicious nonetheless.

I first had Pad Kra Pao—stir fried minced chicken with chillies and Thai basil—when I visited Bangkok in March 2025 (I was reliably told that this, and not pad thai, was the true national dish of Thailand). I recently discovered it's surprisingly easy to make, provided you can get your hands on some niche ingredients. Stir fry shallots, bird's eye chillies, ground chicken, Thai basil, green beans, sugar, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and (the secret ingredient) Golden Mountain sauce.

Tip! You can find Thai chilies, Thai basil, and Golden Mountain sauce at H Mart or your neighborhood Asian grocery store.

Adobo is a staple Filipino dish that I first fell in love with in college. I made a pretty good pork adobo by marinating pieces of pork shoulder in 1 part white vinegar and 1 part soy sauce (I recommend the Filipino brand Datu Puti if you can get your hands on it) along with bay leaf, 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, salt, and lots of garlic. Then, braise the pork until tender (around 1.5 - 2 hours) along with the marinade and 4 parts of water. Serve over white rice with scallions.

A well-made bánh mì is probably my favorite sandwich ever, so I'm very happy to finally be able to make a good one at home. I make grilled lemongrass pork (thịt nướng) from pieces of pork shoulder and a marinade of fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a 3:3:2 ratio, plus garlic and lemongrass (paste). If you have access to a grill, this is the time to use it! (And don't forget the pickled carrots and daikon!)

Tip! The "Parisien" baguette at Le Panier in Pike Place is the perfect combination of crispy and fluffy, making it well-suited for a bánh mì.

Bò lúc lắc ("shaking beef") is a tasty dish that is less common on menus at Vietnamese restaurants in the U.S., but is surprisingly easy to make. With leftover pork from making bánh mì, I made a marinade with oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Sear the pork pieces on medium-high before resting, then soften the onions and bell peppers in the same skillet (you still want some firmness). Right before serving, add back the pork—plus scallions and tomato quarters—and combine. Serve with rice and garnish with lime and cilantro.

Tip! If you have an air fryer, sear the pork less in the skillet then finish cooking in the air fryer while you soften the onions for extra crispy pork pieces!