Quick Niku Jaga
肉じゃが·(niku-jaga)
Asa-gohan & Obento: The Morning Rhythm
Six a.m. at the stove, the shaved beef hits the pan, the Yukon Gold potatoes follow, the soy broth bubbles, yielding a 19th-century naval stew governed by simple thermodynamics. Root vegetables don't absorb flavor while boiling; they drink in that sweet, savory soy broth as the stew cools down. We're skipping the deep pot for a wide skillet to concentrate the glaze fast, packing this deeply glazed stew into a plastic bento thermos. By the time the thermos is finally sealed, the kitchen smells like sweet soy and steamed white rice.
Before you start
Store the cooled Niku Jaga in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, microwave a portion until piping hot, let the steam dissipate for a moment, and pack it tightly next to a bed of fresh white rice. The flavor will be twice as deep as the night before.
Ingredients
- Yukon Gold potatoes3 med
- yellow onion1 med
- carrot1 large
- shirataki noodles100 g
- thinly sliced beef1/2 lb
- neutral oil1 tbsp
- water or mild dashi broth1 cup
- soy sauce3 tbsp
- mirin2 tbsp
- sake2 tbsp
- sugar1 tbsp
- snow peas or green beans1 handful
Method
- 01
Dry-roast the rinsed shirataki noodles in a dry skillet over medium heat for two minutes.
This evaporates excess water and neutralizes their earthy smell so they can properly soak up the broth. Remove and set aside.
- 02
Heat the neutral oil in a wide 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat, then sauté the potatoes, carrots, and onions for 3 to 4 minutes.
Cook until the onion edges turn translucent. Coating the starchy potatoes in hot oil seals their surface, preventing them from dissolving into mush later on.
- 03
Push the vegetables aside, briefly cook the beef until it loses its raw color, then add the shirataki, water, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar.
Keep the shirataki slightly separated from the meat, as the calcium in konjac can toughen beef if boiled together too long. Bring the liquid to a rapid simmer and skim any grey foam that rises to the top.
- 04
Place a parchment paper drop lid directly onto the surface of the food and simmer on medium-low for 10 to 12 minutes.
To make a drop lid (otoshibuta), cut a circle of parchment paper the size of your skillet and poke a dime-sized hole in the center. Do not stir. The drop lid forces the savory liquid to shower back down over the potatoes, cooking them evenly without breaking them.
- 05
Remove the lid, boil off excess liquid to form a shiny syrup, then turn off the heat and let the pan cool completely to room temperature.
The potatoes should easily yield to a skewer before you stop cooking. Scatter the blanched peas on top and walk away. As the temperature drops, the potatoes will suck the umami-rich broth deep into their centers.
Notes
Substitute thinly sliced pork belly or shoulder if you want the Eastern Japanese version.
Western Japan (Kansai) defaults to beef, but households hailing from Tokyo or the northern Kanto regions consider pork the undisputed standard.
From Cook Japanese in America.