Unveiling the Unforgettable: The Secret Recipe Behind Soma Yukihira's Irresistible Gotcha! Pork Roast

Highlights

Soma Yukihira's unique cooking style, developed from working in a diner, sets him apart from his peers at Tōtsuki Culinary Academy.

Soma's Gotcha! Pork Roast dish is a testament to his ingenuity and talent in the kitchen, as he masters the art of creating mouthwatering culinary delights even with a scarcity of ingredients. His cooking relies on his resourcefulness and unwavering love for food, placing great emphasis on rich flavors and the heartfelt essence that goes into every dish, rather than relying on extravagant techniques or costly ingredients.

Soma Yukihira, the protagonist of the shōnen anime "Food Wars!", stands out amongst his peers at Tōtsuki Culinary Academy. While his fellow students showcase impressive culinary skills, come from prestigious food backgrounds, or have been exposed to gourmet dining all their lives, Soma's journey has been different.

Having honed his cooking style while working in a diner, Soma has perfected the art of improvisation to cater to the diverse tastes of his customers. Each time he steps into the kitchen, a harmonious blend of flavors and techniques emerges, reflecting his spontaneous and unique approach to cooking. One standout dish from the first season, the unforgettable Gotcha! Pork Roast, exemplifies Soma's culinary prowess and serves as a captivating introduction to his distinctive cooking style.

The Gotcha! Pork Roast

In the first season of Food Wars!, Soma and his father, Jōichirō Saiba, run a popular family diner called Restaurant Yukihira. One evening, as Soma was closing up, he was approached by an urban planner named Yaeko Minegasaki. Yaeko insisted that Soma should sell the diner to her for her new building plans. In response, Soma defiantly burned Yaeko's business card and declared that the restaurant would only close when they failed to satisfy a customer.

Yaeko, fueled by anger from Soma's rejection, took revenge the next day by vandalizing and ruining the diner. She proudly returned with her group of troublemakers, confessing to the havoc they had wreaked. With arrogance, Yaeko challenged Soma to make her a succulent meat dish, believing that since they had destroyed the kitchen, victory was assured and the diner would be hers.

Confidently, Yaeko burst into laughter as Soma, armed with groceries for breakfast, embraced the challenge. He informed her that if he managed to prepare a meal that meets her expectations, she would have to refrain from visiting Restaurant Yukihira again. Dressed in his chef attire, Soma began his culinary work, impressing Yaeko and her companions with his skilled mashing, slicing, and dicing of ingredients. Even Yaeko found it hard to believe that he could create a delectable meat dish without proper ingredients, prompting her to verify if he had truly emptied the fridges. Eventually, Soma proudly presented her with a mouthwatering pork roast, emitting a tantalizing aroma.

The smell alone caused Yaeko to blush and perspire. With her first bite, her taste buds were overwhelmed by the succulent juices of the bacon. Yearning for more, she reached out for another bite, only for Soma to swiftly pull the plate away. He reminded her of their agreement that she would leave Restaurant Yukihira untouched if she found the meal to her liking. Enthralled by the irresistible taste of the dish, she upheld her promise on the condition that she could enjoy more of Soma's creations. Yaeko and her companions proceeded to savor the pork roast, astonished by Soma's ability to craft such an exceptional dish. In typical Food Wars! manner, they delighted in the dish, experiencing a blissful satisfaction.

How did Soma make it?

Using only the ingredients purchased for breakfast, Soma utilized his unique improvisational cooking style to prepare this exceptional dish. He steamed the potatoes until they were tender, then incorporated fiber-rich mushrooms and sweet onions. Mixing the potatoes, mushrooms, and onions together, he formed a mashed mixture that he shaped into a log. Wrapping the log with thick-cut bacon strips and securing it with kite string, he then inserted rosemary pieces. Once the oven reached the desired temperature, he slow-roasted the dish. While the bacon became delightfully crispy on the outside, the true explosion of flavors occurred within, as the potatoes and mushrooms absorbed the delectable oils and essence of the bacon, resulting in an abundance of umami. Concurrently, Soma melted butter in a pan to create a sauce, complementing it with red wine, sweet sake, and soy sauce to achieve a well-rounded flavor profile. Upon completion of the pork roast, he artfully drizzled the sauce over the dish, adding a tantalizing "sensual new texture" of crispy bacon paired with succulent juiciness.

What does this dish say about Soma as a chef?

Soma stumbled upon the idea for this dish when he made an error while preparing another meal. While preparing a potato salad for a customer, he unintentionally placed the meat too close to the potatoes, resulting in the potatoes absorbing the savory meat flavor. This mistake sparked the inspiration for a dish that would imitate a pork roast, ultimately saving his diner. Soma's ability to turn a mistake into a culinary triumph is truly commendable and is reflected in his unique cooking style.

Soma, as an individual, demonstrates impressive resourcefulness. His ability to think quickly and creatively with the ingredients at hand to create a pseudo meat dish is truly impressive, further highlighting his talents as a cook. This resourcefulness is evident throughout his journey at Tōtsuki, such as when he creates a mackerel burger for his dorm entrance exam or utilizes potato chips to create a crusted fish dish. His innovative thinking is exemplified by his creation of the pork roast dish.

Soma's approach to cooking sets him apart from others like Akira Hayama and Alice Nakiri. Rather than focusing on extravagant ingredients or advanced culinary technology, Soma's food captures the essence of simplicity and wholesomeness. He believes that the true appeal of food lies in the flavors and emotions it evokes, rather than technical details. This pork roast exemplifies Soma's cooking style and also reflects his personality. It showcases his cheeky and passionate nature, while also serving as a statement and protest against those who underestimate his diner. Soma's love for food runs deep in his genes, inherited from his chef parents. The Gotcha! Pork Roast perfectly embodies his boundless passion for the craft and demonstrates the exceptional quality his diner can achieve.