Nikujaga 肉じゃが (Japanese Meat-Potato Dish) Sous Vide
Courtesy of Chika Machida
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 pound (450 g) thin-sliced ‘sukiyaki-style’ beef short rib
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cooking oil
- 1 medium to large onion, peeled and sliced
- 3 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
- 2 to 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
- 5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, halved or sliced
- 1 package shirataki noodles, rinsed and cut as desired
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) sake
- 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) dashi (or stock of your choice)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons (15 ml) sugar
For the meat marinade
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) cooking sake
- 4 tablespoons (50 g) brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) rice vinegar
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) wate
- 1/2 tablespoon (7 g/1 pat) butter
DIRECTIONS
- Fill and preheat the SousVide Supreme water oven to 134F/56.5C.
- In a bowl, stir together the sake, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce to make the meat marinade.
- Put the meat into a zip-closure cooking pouch, add the marinade and butter, and massage for good coverage. Use the displacement method (Archimedes’ principle) to evacuate the air and zip the seal.
- Submerge the pouch to cook for 2 hours.
- On the stovetop, in a large sauté pan, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add carrots, onions, shiitake mushrooms and potatoes and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add the sake and cook for a few minutes, until the alcohol is evaporated. Add the dashi, soy sauce, and sugar and stir to combine. Finally, add the shirataki noodles and toss to combine.
- Reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes.
- When ready to serve, remove the meat from the pouch and, if desired, give it a quick surface sear in a very hot skillet for a golden-brown crust. (This step is optional as the meat is quite wonderful in this dish without the sear.)
- Ladle the vegetables, noodles, and sauce into bowls, top each with a portion of the meat, and serve.