Chef Takumi
Aspara-bacon (アスパラベーコン, bacon-wrapped asparagus)
Aspara-bacon is late-spring asparagus treated with common sense: thin bacon, hot grill, and a last brush of shōyu and mirin so the spear stays sweet while the wrap crisps.
Culinary Explorer
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Yakitori Nankotsu (なんこつ, grilled chicken cartilage)
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Nankotsu is yakitori stripped to its snap: good chicken cartilage, a little salt, hot coals, and the patience to brown the meat without softening the crunch.
Appetizers & Snacks
Japanese
Dinner Party
BBQ
Game Day
20 min
Active Time
10 min cook•30 min total
Yield4 servings, about 8 skewers
Cartilage makes some cooks hesitate. I understand. It sounds like the part left behind after the polite pieces have gone to the table. But nankotsu is not a scrap in yakitori, it is the point: a clean, springy crunch with just enough meat clinging to it to brown over the fire.
The first secret is sourcing. Ask for hiza nankotsu, the knee cartilage, or yagen nankotsu, the breastbone cartilage with a little tender meat attached. If it smells tired, don't grill it. There is nothing here to hide behind. A yakitori counter lives by that honesty, and the skewer tells on you faster than a judge with a notebook.
Cook it simply, the way we do it here: salt, skewer, grill. Salt draws a little surface moisture forward, so the meat browns and the cartilage stays clean-tasting. Turn the skewers often over hot coals or a very hot grill, because cartilage is small and stubborn. You want browned edges, not a dried-out relic. The detail that decides it is heat control: close enough to color, far enough to keep the snap.
Yakitori shops became common urban eating places in the early Shōwa period, then spread quickly after World War II when chicken and off-cuts became practical, inexpensive drinking food. Nankotsu reflects the yakitori habit of using the bird carefully, with specialized skewers for parts such as skin, liver, tail, gizzard, knee cartilage, and breastbone cartilage. The breastbone type is often called yagen nankotsu because its shape resembles a yagen, the boat-shaped mortar once used to grind medicine.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
chicken cartilage, hiza nankotsu or yagen nankotsu
Quantity
500g
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 1/2 teaspoons
sake
Quantity
1 tablespoon
neutral oil
Quantity
1 teaspoon
for the grill grate
lemon wedges (optional)
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| chicken cartilage, hiza nankotsu or yagen nankotsu | 500g |
| fine sea salt | 1 1/2 teaspoons |
| sake | 1 tablespoon |
| neutral oilfor the grill grate | 1 teaspoon |
| lemon wedges (optional) | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Yakitori skewers, preferably flat bamboo skewers, or metal skewers
- •Konro grill with binchōtan, or a charcoal or gas grill
- •Tongs
- •Small brush or folded paper towel for oiling the grate
Instructions
- 1
Soak the skewers
Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 20 minutes. Yakitori skewers sit close to strong heat, and dry bamboo scorches before the cartilage has time to brown. If you have metal skewers, use them and skip the soaking.
- 2
Check the cartilage
Pat the cartilage dry and look it over. Trim away loose blood spots or ragged bits, but keep the small clinging pieces of meat and fat. Those brown over the fire and give the skewer its savor. If using yagen nankotsu, cut larger pieces into bite-size lengths so each piece grips the skewer.
- 3
Season lightly
Toss the cartilage with the sake and half the salt, then let it stand 10 minutes. The sake freshens the surface and helps the salt sit evenly, but don't soak it longer. This is not a marinade. Nankotsu should taste clean, with the crunch left in charge.
- 4
Skewer compactly
Thread 5 or 6 pieces onto each skewer, keeping them close but not jammed tight. A compact skewer turns as one piece and browns evenly. If the pieces are crushed together, the inner edges stay pale and rubbery, which is not the cheerful snap we came for.
- 5
Grill over heat
Heat binchōtan charcoal, a charcoal grill, or a gas grill to high direct heat. Oil the grate lightly. Grill the skewers for 8 to 10 minutes, turning every minute or so, until the edges are browned and the clinging meat is cooked through. Season with the remaining salt as you turn, so each side gets a small, even bite.
- 6
Serve at once
Rest the skewers for one minute, then serve with lemon if you like. Eat them hot from the grill while the edges are crisp and the center still snaps under the teeth. Pile them up and they soften. Give them room, even on a small plate.
Chef Tips
- •Ask the butcher for chicken knee cartilage or breastbone cartilage by name. If they look blank, ask whether they can order hiza nankotsu or yagen nankotsu from a poultry supplier. Sourcing first, always.
- •Shio, salt seasoning, is the cleanest way to learn this skewer. Tare can be good, but a sweet glaze easily covers the very texture you came to taste.
- •If you don't have binchōtan, use the hottest clean-burning charcoal you can manage, or a gas grill set high. The goal is quick browning without a long cook that dries the small pieces.
- •Don't crowd the serving plate. Three skewers set at a slight angle on rustic stoneware looks better than eight stacked in surrender. Leave it room.
Advance Preparation
- •The cartilage can be trimmed and kept covered in the refrigerator up to 1 day ahead. Salt it only shortly before grilling so it stays firm.
- •Bamboo skewers can be soaked several hours ahead and held wrapped in a damp towel.
- •Cook nankotsu just before serving. Reheated cartilage loses the clean snap that defines the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 105g)
Calories
80 calories
Total Fat
1 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
1 g
Cholesterol
45 mg
Sodium
1000 mg
Total Carbohydrates
1 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
16 g
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