Yokkaichi Tonteki (四日市とんてき)

Yokkaichi Tonteki is a Japanese pork steak from Mie Prefecture in central Japan, sautéed with whole garlic cloves and finished in a dark garlic sauce. Locals treat it as a local specialty rather than a restaurant showpiece. The pork arrives thick, the sauce arrives strong, and a small mountain of shredded cabbage sits beside it. Mie sits between Nagoya and Osaka, so plenty of visitors pass straight through. That seems a shame, because this dish rewards a stop. TOCWhat Is Yokkaichi Tonteki? Basically, Yokkaichi Tonteki is a thick slab of pork, browned in a pan with garlic and coated in a concentrated brown sauce. Raw shredded cabbage always comes alongside too. Restaurants across the city serve it, including Chinese diners, ramen shops, tonkatsu specialists and izakaya. The dish also has a formal definition, which surprises many first-time visitors. A local volunteer body, the Yokkaichi Tonteki Association, sets four conditions. Sautéed thick-cut pork. The meat is pan-cooked rather than deep-fried. A dark, strongly flavored sauce. Color matters here, so pale sauces do not qualify. Garlic served with the pork. Whole browned cloves usually sit on the plate. Shredded cabbage as the mai...