Yakitori (Binchōtan Grill — Tare vs Shio Technique)

Ingredients

• 800 g chicken thigh, cut into 30 mm pieces
• 100 ml soy sauce, tamari or shoyu
• 50 ml mirin, hon-mirin
• 25 ml sake
• 15 g caster sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 g ginger, grated
• 5 g Tellicherry black pepper
• Sea salt, to taste
• 8 bamboo skewers, soaked 30 min

Method

1. 1
   Prepare tare: combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a saucepan; simmer 3 minutes until glossy, set aside.
2. 2
   Thread chicken pieces onto soaked skewers, 4–5 pieces per skewer.
3. 3
   Heat binchōtan charcoal grill to high (target 300°C surface).
4. 4
   Grill skewers 90 seconds per side until surface chars; brush with tare on final 30 seconds of each side.
5. 5
   Rest 2 minutes; season with sea salt and black pepper.
6. 6
   Serve immediately with reserved warm tare for dipping.