P
Japanese · Tokyo
Yakitori Advanced Cuts Tori Nankotsu Cartilage
Beyond standard yakitori cuts (momo/thigh, negima/leek-chicken), professional yakitori includes specialized cartilage, organ, and structural cuts that reveal the full anatomy of the chicken. Nankotsu (軟骨, cartilage) refers specifically to the sternum/breast cartilage — skewered and grilled until slightly charred for a crunchy, chewy texture unique to yakitori culture. Torikawa (鶏皮, chicken skin) is skewered accordion-style and cooked slowly to render fat before crisping — requiring 15-20 minutes of careful indirect heat. Bonjiri (ぼんじり, parson's nose/tail piece) is the fat-rich tail section — a yakitori delicacy for texture and richness.
I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
Nankotsu (Sternum Cartilage)
300 g
chicken sternum cartilage
cleaned of surrounding meat; cartilage only
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Torikawa (Chicken Skin)
400 g
chicken skin
in long strips; excess fat trimmed but skin intact
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Bonjiri (Parson's Nose)
300 g
chicken tail pieces
cleaned of surrounding muscle; fat-skin intact
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Seasoning
2 tsp
fine sea salt
for nankotsu and torikawa service
Your own market
as required
tare (yakitori dipping sauce)
for nankotsu and bonjiri only; never applied to torikawa
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Equipment
as required
bamboo or steel skewers
soaked if bamboo
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II
The Method
1
Clean the nankotsu: remove all residual breast meat from the sternum cartilage sections, leaving pure cartilage. Clean the bonjiri tail pieces of all surrounding muscle, leaving only the fat-skin structure. Strip chicken skin into even lengths for torikawa. The cook knows each piece is ready when it yields cleanly to the finger with no ragged meat fibres attached.
2
Skewer the nankotsu through the centre of each cartilage section. Fold each torikawa strip accordion-style four to five times before threading the skewer through all layers — this is the technique that allows progressive fat rendering. Skewer bonjiri pieces snugly in sequence. The cook knows the accordion folds are correct when the skin holds its compressed shape without unravelling when the skewer is lifted.
3
Begin the torikawa over indirect, moderate charcoal heat. Allow 15 to 20 minutes of slow cooking, turning regularly. Do not rush this stage: the fat must render progressively through the accordion layers before the skin can crisp. This is where the torikawa lives or dies — skin moved to direct high heat before the fat has fully rendered will be chewy rather than crispy. The cook knows rendering is complete when the skewer feels noticeably lighter and the surface of the skin turns translucent and begins to colour at the edges.
4
Grill the nankotsu over direct charcoal heat, turning until the surface shows slight char marks and the cartilage is heated through. Season immediately with fine sea salt. The cook knows the nankotsu is done when it offers firm, audible resistance — a distinct crunch — on being pressed with a skewer tip.
5
Move the torikawa to direct heat for the final crisping stage once fat has fully rendered. Grill, turning, until the skin is deeply golden and rigid to the touch. Season with fine sea salt only; tare is not applied to torikawa. The cook knows it is done when the surface is visibly crisp and the skin no longer yields under light finger pressure.
6
Grill the bonjiri over direct charcoal heat, turning until the exterior is deeply crisped and the fat has rendered to a glossy, caramelised surface. The cook knows the bonjiri is done when the exterior is visibly crispy and the pieces carry a deep, savory rendered-fat aroma.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Sternum cartilage, skin, and tail from a named heritage breed — Jidori or equivalent — sourced whole and butchered to order; fat is clean and deep-flavoured, cartilage is dense and resilient.
02
Estate — Free-range chicken parts from a known supplier, butchered fresh; cartilage firm, skin with adequate fat cover, bonjiri structurally clean.
03
Market — Good-quality supermarket chicken, parts separated by the cook; results are sound if cleaning and skewering technique are precise.
04
House — Pre-packed chicken skin or mixed offal cuts; acceptable for torikawa if accordion technique is applied correctly, though fat flavour will be less complex.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Sight. Torikawa surface turns translucent and edges begin to colour during the rendering phase — the signal that fat is releasing through the accordion layers.
◇Sight. Nankotsu shows distinct char marks on the surface without any collapse of structure.
◇Sight. Bonjiri exterior is deeply golden and glossy — rendered fat visible as a caramelised sheen.
◇Touch. Torikawa is rigid and does not yield under light finger pressure once crisped.
◇Sound. Nankotsu emits a firm, audible crunch when pressed — the defining textural signal of correctly grilled cartilage.
◇Smell. Bonjiri releases a deep, savory rendered-fat aroma as the tail fat caramelises over direct heat.
◇Where it lives or dies. Torikawa must render its fat slowly over indirect heat for the full 15 to 20 minutes before any contact with direct high heat — skin rushed to the flame before rendering is complete will be chewy throughout and cannot be recovered.
Pillar V
Cross-cuisine parallels are part of membership.
The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
Enter · from $49 a year
VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Nikka From The Barrel
Nikka Whisky — Miyagikyo Distillery · Miyagikyo — Nikka Distillery
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Whisky
From British Columbia
Nothing from British Columbia holds against this yet.
Without alcohol
No pour without alcohol holds against this yet.
Why each one works is part of membership — Enter · from $49 a year →
The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
Enter · from $49 a year