Bata Yaki with Ponzu Sauce – an Easy way to Entertain

By Sandy Hu

Until Sunday night, Special Fork is holding a sweepstakes, giving away a prize package of a year’s supply of delicious Kerrygold Butter and cheeses, imported from Ireland, courtesy of Kerrygold! It’s easy to enter the sweepstakes. Our recipe below is a novel – and scrumptious – way to use Kerrygold Butter.

A one-skillet meal cooked at the table is an easy way to entertain a few friends. If you don’t have an electric skillet, gather your guests in the kitchen and cook while you chat.

“Bata” is the Japanese word for butter, and “yaki” describes cooking on direct heat. This recipe calls for ½ cup of butter, which may seem like a lot, but remember there will be butter left in the pan and in the serving dish so all of it isn’t consumed, unless you choose to.

Since butter is a key component of this dish, be sure to use a high-quality butter, such as Irish butter, for the best flavor. The ponzu sauce, a combination of soy sauce and citrus juices, adds a fresh counterpoint to this rich dish.

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It’s a Porchetta Party!

Not too long ago, I received an intriguing email from my friend and Special Fork food editor, Linda Anusasananan, the former recipe editor of Sunset magazine.

“I've been fantasizing about the porchetta sandwiches I saw last week sold from the Roli Roti truck at the Ferry Plaza,” she wrote. “The line was about two blocks long – far too long to wait, so I never got to taste them.

“That weekend I saw porchetta turning on the spit at the Burlingame farmers' market. I asked if I could buy some and the vendor said someone had special-ordered the whole roast. He said I could do the same thing and pick the porchetta up at one of the farmers’ markets.”

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