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THE plum jam was done. It retained plenty of the plum’s original texture since I’d used unripe plums. Techi challenged it again, and she responded with half shock, half grimace at the sour taste. “I can taste a hint of sweetness and an explosive, tangy sourness. If I have to make a verdict, it’s delicious, yeah. But how in the world are we supposed to eat something like this?”
I was pouring jam into sterilized jars, boiling the jars, and deaerating them. “Well, it’s jam. We eat it like jam.” I grinned. “You can spread it on toast or crackers and eat it while frowning at how sour it is. You can dilute it in chilled sparkling water and turn it into fizzy plum soda that’ll keep the summer heat fatigue at bay. Plum jam salad dressing is a good idea too. Annnnd of course, how can we forget about meat when jam is involved?”
Kon and Techi, who were both still frowning somewhat from the tart aftertaste, looked at me with burning eyes when they heard the magic word. Seeing that, I wore a wry smile as I launched into an explanation. “Plums have good chemistry with both green and red shiso. You can make a sauce by mixing plum jam, grated ginger, ground sesame, cooking sake, and soy sauce. It’s a light sauce that’s usually paired with pork steak. The meat and the sauce bring out the charms in each other and elevate the flavors to a whole other level.
“The refreshing and light taste also pairs well with vegetables wrapped in meat,” I continued. “You wrap pork around summer vegetables such as eggplants, sauté the bundles in a frying pan, then drizzle on the sauce. Yum. Other than that, you can go for a spicy edition by adding coarse ground pepper. You can even simmer pork in plum jam sauce. Oh, karaage chicken marinated in plum jam sauce is also a match made in heaven. These are all pleasing meat recipes that whet your appetite during the heat of summer. The secret to its success is, of course, its potent sourness.”
Here, I paused to catch my breath. Two pairs of ravenous eyes were fixed on me. I heard audible swallows. I could feel the silent pressure and almost hear their silent demand; they wanted to taste all the meat dishes I’d just mentioned.
Smiling slightly exasperatedly, I continued my explanation. “Ripe plum jam is a bit sweeter and better for eating directly. It’s like a dessert. Unripe plum jam, meanwhile, feels more like a sour ingredient to me. I would use it as a seasoning. And yes, I know, you two are craving plum jam dishes, but it’s nearly dinnertime. Kon has to head home too, so let’s think about it tomorr—”
Techi suddenly leaned forward and raised one hand, facing her palm at me and cutting my sentence off. She took out an empty plastic food container from the cabinet above the sink and held it out to me. “What’s stopping you from making some right now? Kon can take some home and enjoy it with his family. The two of us can enjoy our portion by ourselves too. Did you really think you would get away with putting it off after giving us such a vivid explanation? I will not allow such cruelty in this household.”
Hearing that, Kon gave me his signature smile and nodded furiously, displaying his support.
I’d already worn several wry smiles today, but I felt the most exasperated one taking over my features. I accepted the food container and started brainstorming about what to make.
Karaage…I don’t have time for marinating or deep frying. Meat wrapped around vegetables…I don’t think I have enough of the latter in our fridge. Pork steak…hang on, I think we have pork! I nodded to myself and decided to start with the sauce.
The recipe for the sauce is exactly what I described earlier. Plum jam and ginger match well, so grated ginger is a must. Even if you don’t have any raw ginger, you can use the ready-made type. Prepare ground sesame. Likewise, use ready-made types if necessary. Finely chop green shiso. Add cooking sake and soy sauce. On top of that, add a few drops of aromatic sesame oil. Mix the ingredients.
Garlic was a nice addition as well, but after experiencing a day of stinky stimuli, Techi probably didn’t want any of that, so I refrained.
Prepare the pork. Beat with a meat tenderizer so that the pork won’t shrink into a clump when cooking. Add incisions between the lean meat and the fatty meat, as well as around the sinew.
Sauté one side until brown in a frying pan. Flip over and turn to low heat. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the meat slowly. When the meat is cooked through, lift the lid. Use paper towels to wipe off excess water. Pour in the sauce you made earlier. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is reduced.
You can add chili pepper or coarse ground pepper during this stage if you want to spice it up. Plum jam is also good with spicy flavors, but let’s skip the chili this time.
Soon, the pork was ready. All I had to do now was to transfer them onto our plates together with some suitable vegetables. But well, Kon was taking some home today, so I made the Sanmaya family’s portions first. I filled the food container with sautéed pork steaks and excess sauce before putting it inside a plastic shopping bag so that it was easier for him to carry.
“Make sure to reheat the steak and sauce in a frying pan first,” I instructed as I handed it over.
Kon beamed at me with a radiant smile. “Thanks, Mikura! I’ll deliver it to Mommy right away, so I’m heading back now! See you!” And off he went, accompanied by the pitter-patter of tiny feet.
A smile curled my lips as I watched him sprint into the distance. Naturally, I noticed Techi glaring at me like a wrathful demon. The message was clear—she was telling me to hurry up and satisfy her protesting stomach. For her sake, I promptly cooked for two. Perhaps that wasn’t too accurate—I cooked for one human and one beastwoman. Her portion was thrice that of mine.
Once the pork steaks were ready, I asked Techi to arrange them on plates while I prepared rice and miso soup. I carried the dishes into the living room and laid our dinner on the low table.
Techi had been ready a step ahead of me. She’d finished serving the food earlier and was sitting in her usual seat. During my preparation time, her glare was glued to the pork steaks on the low table. I felt as if she could eat enough for two with how hungry she looked.
So that she could eat as soon as possible, I quickly finished my preparations and walked briskly to my usual seat. The moment I sat down, Techi clapped her hands together and voiced her thanks for the food rapidly—she hadn’t even stopped to wait for me, a testament to her impatience.
Pork steak with plum jam, of course, was sour. The sauce was sour, aromatic, slightly sweet, and filled with concentrated umami. As for the flesh, it was tender and substantial.
It wasn’t a recipe with guaranteed success. If you weren’t careful, it would taste like meat plus jam, not meat with jam, and the prior wasn’t very appetizing. But if you simmer the meat in the sauce properly and allow them to blend in harmony, it becomes a delicious meal that releases its rich flavors with every bite.
Fortunately, I found harmony and success this time. I couldn’t give it a perfect score, but it definitely deserved a passing mark at the very least. Techi didn’t have any complaints—she didn’t moan about the sour sauce at all. With brutal speed, she polished off all the pork steaks I’d prepared for her.
The many additional seasonings I’d added to the jam helped soften the blow of the sour plums. The cooking process also brought out more of the sweetness, further cushioning the tart taste. On top of that, the pork was high quality and contributed its rich and complex umami.
In conclusion, dinner today was a great success.