Chicken Yakitori Skewers

These are a popular street and bar food in Japan, and are absolutely amazingly good. The cook is fairly easy to do, and the results speak for themselves! Definitely one of my favorite quick cooks!

YouTube Instructional: https://youtu.be/H2VrAcVLVJc

Ingredients:
~2 Lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Sesame Seeds (optional)

Tare (sauce):
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Mirin
1/4 Cup Sake
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Green of 1 Scallion
3 Garlic Cloves
1 Inch of peeled ginger (chopped)

Step 1: Make the Tare

Add all ingredients to a pan

Bring to a boil at medium-high heat

Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer until it has reduced by about half (stirring constantly to avoid burning!)

Remove from heat, and pour about a third of it into another bowl

Let it cool to about room temp

Step 2: Cut up the Green Onions

Cut the scallions to about 1-1.5 inch sections. The only parts we are going to use are ones thick enough for our skewer to go through them

Step 3: Trim and cut up the chicken

Trim off any excess fat or funky parts of the chicken thighs

Cut the thighs into appx 1 inch by 2 inch strips

lightly salt and pepper the exterior

Step 4: Assemble the skewers

Using presoaked (in water) skewers, alternate between chicken and scallions by folding the chicken strips in half

Once all have been assembled, paint the exterior of the chicken in the 2/3 of our (cooled) Tare

Step 5: Cook the Skewers

Using either your charcoal or propane grill, smoker, or oven broiler, get the temp up to 450 degrees

Get the chicken to hang between something like two bricks and cook for appx 10 minutes

Remove them, baste again in the 2/3 reserved Tare and return to the smoker

Cook until the internal is about 165

Step 6: Remove and baste again

Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove from the smoker, oven, or grill

Baste with the 1/3 Tare we had set aside in the beginning and garnish with sesame seeds

Enjoy!