Try this Nikujaga Japanese Beef Stew recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 25.5204467616159 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 27.1535583380406 g
- Fiber 3.24425810871743 g
- Protein 4.31729146986452 g
- Saturated Fat 3.54273351114405 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (338g)
- Sodium 2535.0248897501 mg
- Sugar 22.2761886528985 g
- Trans Fat 1.33169564020714 g
- Calories 388 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large heavy bottomed pan or dutch oven over high heat, heat your oil and brown your beef. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium, add onions and cook until transparent.
- Add sake and boil off until the alcohol is gone (about 1-2 minutes), then add your mirin, soy, sugar, and dashi. Reduce to a low simmer.
- Add potatoes, carrots, kinyako, and previously cooked beef to the pan and simmer until potatoes and beef are tender (about 15 minutes).
Adding all the ingredients to the pot simultaneously ruins the texture of Nikujaga because root vegetables and thinly sliced protein require vastly different cooking durations. Browning the beef first in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven renders surface fats and builds foundational umami before the meat is promptly extracted to prevent toughening. Onions follow in the same pan over medium heat, transpiring until translucent while absorbing the residual fond without burning.
Boiling off the sake for precisely two minutes eliminates harsh ethanol notes while retaining aromatic sweetness that balances the salinity of the soy sauce and dashi broth. Nugget potatoes cut into quarter-inch rounds should join the simmering liquid alongside carrots and konnyaku only after the alcohol has dissipated. Simmering this mixture on low heat for fifteen minutes ensures the starches hydrate properly without disintegrating into the broth.
Starch structural integrity depends entirely on maintaining a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil, which fractures potato edges and clouds the dashi. Heavy-bottomed vessels distribute heat evenly across the base, preventing scorching when sugar and mirin reduce down into the savory braising liquid. Returning the reserved beef to the pot during the final minutes of simmering warms the protein gently without overcooking its delicate fibers.
Storing leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days actually improves the dish as starches continue absorbing aromatic liquids during refrigeration. Gentle reheating over medium-low heat restores the sauce consistency without melting the tender potato rounds into mush. Freezing is generally discouraged because high-water-content root vegetables turn spongy and release water upon thawing.
