Teriyaki Pork Rolls

Ingredients

• 6 thin chops (about 454 g)pork
• 18green beans, ends trimmed
• 1 small, cut into 18 stripscarrot
• 1 small, cored, deseeded and thinly slicedred pepper
• 30 mlvegetable oil
• for dustingflour
• to tastesalt and pepper
• 30 mlsoy sauce
• 15 mlsugar
• 30 mlwater

Instructions

1. 1

   Blanch the vegetables

   Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and add all the vegetables. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Set aside.

2. 2

   Mix the sauce

   In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sugar and water. Set the sauce aside.

3. 3

   Dust the pork

   Dust both sides of one pork chop with flour.

4. 4

   Add the filling

   Place 3 green beans, 3 carrot strips and 3 strips of red pepper on the pork.

5. 5

   Season and roll

   Season with salt and pepper, then start rolling the pork around the vegetables.

6. 6

   Secure the rolls

   Hold each roll closed with toothpicks.

7. 7

   Heat the oil

   Add the oil to a pan. Once it is hot, add the pork rolls.

8. 8

   Brown the pork

   Cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes, then remove the toothpicks.

9. 9

   Glaze the rolls

   Pour in the sauce and shake the pan so it coats all sides of the rolls.

10. 10

    Slice and serve

    Turn off the heat and slice the rolls into pieces. Serve warm over any sliced vegetables left over.

What are teriyaki pork rolls?

Teriyaki refers to a Japanese cooking style in which food is glazed with a sweet, savoury sauce. These rolls use that flavour idea with pork wrapped around crisp-tender vegetables, rather than serving the meat as a whole chop.

The recipe keeps the preparation simple: briefly blanch the vegetables, roll them in the pork, then coat everything in a quick soy and sugar sauce. The colourful filling also makes each slice easy to serve.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 311 calories, 21g protein, 40g carbs, 9g fat.

The pork supplies most of the protein, while the flour, sugar and vegetables contribute carbohydrates. Vegetable oil and the pork provide fat, and the soy sauce contributes salt. Serve with extra vegetables or a modest portion of rice to round out the plate.

Prepare the vegetables

Blanching: Boil the beans, carrot and red pepper for 2 minutes, then drain and dry them well. This short cook softens the vegetables slightly while leaving them firm enough to roll.

Portioning: The recipe calls for 3 beans, 3 carrot strips and 3 pepper strips in each roll. Arrange the filling so it sits inside the pork rather than poking out at the ends.

Roll and secure the pork

Flour coating: Dust each chop on both sides before adding the vegetables. Keep the coating light; it helps the meat brown and gives the sauce something to cling to.

Toothpicks: Roll the chop snugly around its filling and fasten it closed. Remove the toothpicks before slicing and serving.

Get the browning right

Hot pan: Add the rolls when the oil is hot so the pork starts browning rather than sitting in oil. Give them room to cook evenly, working in batches if the pan is crowded.

Doneness: The stated cooking time is about 8 minutes, until the pork is golden brown. Check the thickest part is cooked through before taking the rolls off the heat.

Make the quick teriyaki-style glaze

Mixing: Stir the soy sauce, sugar and water together before you start cooking, so the glaze is ready to add. The water loosens the mixture while the sugar lends sweetness.

Coating: Add the sauce after browning and shake the pan to cover the rolls on all sides. Turn off the heat once they are coated to avoid reducing the sauce too far.

Serving ideas

Vegetables: Serve the sliced rolls warm over any vegetables left after filling them. If there are none, the rolls can still be served on their own or with a simple vegetable side.

A fuller plate: Steamed rice is a natural accompaniment to the sweet-savoury sauce. Keep the rolls as the centrepiece and add rice or extra vegetables to suit your appetite.

Recipe notes & tips

• Pat the blanched vegetables dry so excess water does not make the rolls slippery.
• Keep the vegetable strips together as you roll to make even slices later.
• Use a light dusting of flour rather than a thick coating.
• Have the sauce mixed before heating the pan, as it is added near the end.
• Remember to remove every toothpick before slicing or serving.

Variations

• Add ginger: Mix a little finely grated ginger into the soy sauce mixture for extra warmth.
• Use chicken: Substitute thin chicken cutlets for the pork and cook until thoroughly done.
• Change the vegetables: Use thin strips of courgette in place of some of the red pepper.
• Make it less sweet: Reduce the sugar to suit your taste.
• Serve with rice: Add steamed rice to make the rolls a more substantial meal.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Wet vegetables: They can make the filling slippery; drain and pat them dry after blanching.
• Loose rolling: The filling may fall out; roll the pork snugly and secure it with toothpicks.
• Crowded pan: The rolls may brown unevenly; cook them in batches if needed.
• Sauce added too early: It can cook down before the pork browns; add it after the rolls are golden.
• Forgotten toothpicks: They are easy to miss when slicing; remove them all before serving.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and eat within 2 days. Reheat until piping hot, either gently in a pan or in the microwave; the pork may be less tender after reheating.

Frequently asked questions