Meat
Chicken Tenderloin NukazukeCook Through, Then Pickle for a Day
Chicken tenderloin (sasami in Japanese) is lean and mild. Pickled in nuka, it gains depth, and the flavor spreads with every bite.
Cook it all the way through before pickling. You eat it as is after pickling, without cooking it again, so it must be fully cooked when you boil it.
| Prep | Remove the tendon, boil until cooked through, cool and wrap in a paper towel |
|---|---|
| Pickling time | 24 hours (in the fridge) |
| After pickling | Keep in the fridge and eat the same day |
Food safety
- Cook it through: Raw or undercooked chicken can cause food poisoning from bacteria such as Campylobacter and Salmonella. After boiling, cut the thickest part and check that it’s white all the way through. A food thermometer should read at least 74°C (165°F) in the center.
- Pickle in separate bran, wrapped: For meat, fish, eggs and other animal foods, it’s safer, and better for the smell, not to put them straight into the main bed. Wrap them in bran taken from the bed, and throw that bran away afterwards.
- Pickle in the fridge, and eat it soon.
How to make chicken tenderloin nukazuke
- Remove the tendon: Hold the white tendon down with the back of a knife and pull it out.
- Boil: Put the tenderloins into boiling water. When it boils again, turn the heat to low and simmer for 3–4 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for about 5 minutes. Cut the thickest part and check that it’s white all the way through.
- Cool completely: Let it cool, then pat dry.
- Wrap and pickle: Wrap in a paper towel and bury in bran taken from your bed. Wrap everything, bran and all, in plastic wrap or a zip-top bag and put it in the fridge.
- Take it out: Remove the paper towel, cut into bite-sized pieces and serve.
From bed to plate
How to eat it
- As is: Slice and serve with wasabi or Japanese mustard.
- In a salad: Shred and mix with cucumber and tomato. The saltiness of the bran is just enough seasoning.
- Bang bang chicken style: Top with a sesame sauce.
