Gyudon / beef bowl

Quick, fuss-free and yummy Gyudon.

serves 4


Ingredients:
1 lb. thinly sliced beef (available at Asian market)
1 onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 Tbs. soy sauce
3 Tbs. Mirin
1 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. vegetable oil


Directions:
In a bowl, combine the soy sacue, Mirin and suger and stir well.
Heat a fry pan over medium heat, pour in the vegetable oil. Add the onion and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Add the beef and cook until the meat color will turn to almost brown about 1 minute. 
Pour the combined mixer into the fry pan and cook a few minutes.
Place warm cooked rice in individual bowls. Cover up the rice with cooked beef and onion. Garnish with Mitsuba or Kaiware.

tuna tataki with lemon zest rice

Simple and sumptuous main dish for lunch or dinner.

Serves 4


Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless tuna fillet
4 cups cooked short grain rice
2 Tbs. lemon zest
4 Tbs. chopped scallion
1 sheet Nori sheet, break into small pieces with hands
a pinch of sea salt, black pepper 


For tuna marinade
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. Japanese Sake
1 Tbs. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed


Directions:
Whisk all the tuna marinade ingredients and transfer the marinade with the tuna in a ziploc. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Take it out from the refrigerator at leaset 5 minutes before you cook the tuna.
Take out the tuna from the ziploc and pat it with paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper each side of the tuna. Briefly sear both sides of the tuna in a little sesame oil.

In a nonstick saute' pan over medium-high heat, arrange the tuna in the pan and sear, turning once, about a minute per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 1/8-inch strips.

Mix cooked warm rice with lemon zest with a rice paddle or flat wooden spoon. Place the rice in a bowl and arrange the tuna slices on top, sprinkle with the chopped scallion and Nori. serve with soy sauce.

Japanese style Hamburger

This is a popular Japanese style soft and juicy Hamburger in Japan. Please try with grated white radish and sweet soy sauce on top.

serves 5

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork

2/3 white onion, chopped

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

3 Tbs. worcester sauce or Tonkatsu sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 black pepper

2 Tbs. vegetable oil for frying

Hamburg sauce

2 Tbs. soy sauce

3 Tbs. Mirin

1 Tbs. Sake or water (if you don't have Sake)

2 Tbs. butter

5 Tbs. grated white radish (Japanese Daikon)

3 Tbs. chopped scallion

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, worcester sauce, salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients: beef, pork, onion and panko and mix well with hands. 

Form the mixture into 10 patties, each 3/4 inch thick. Slightly hollow out the middle of each patty to avoid it becoming too round when cooked.

In large fry pan over medium high heat, add vegetable oil and cook about 5 hamburger patties at once. Cook until the underside of the meat is golden, turn and cook the other side covered, low heat about 6 minutes. 

Making sauce

In a small sauce pan, add the soy sauce, Mirin, Sake and butter. When butter melts, remove from the heat.

Pour 1 tablespoon sauce on each hamburger and top with 1 tablespoon grated white radish. Sprinkle with chopped scallions.