This Japanese-style beef stew recipe is a delicious blend of the umami depth of fungi, the zesty punch of ginger, the subtle sweetness of mirin, the creaminess of winter squash, and the bright acidity of lemon. It’s a surprisingly simple dish that offers a balanced and delightful interplay of flavors and textures, creating a stew that’s both comforting and invigorating.
Japanese-Style Beef Stew Recipe
Creating this Japanese-style beef stew is a simple, yet deliberate process, carefully designed to ensure every ingredient comes together to create a tasty balance of flavors.
Building the Stew
At the heart of this recipe lies the choice of simple ingredients that evoke the complex flavors of Japanese cooking. Chuck roast serves as the foundation for the stew’s flavor base. It’s important to cut and season the beef and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before cooking. This will both allow the salt to work its magic and for the beef to obtain a better sear.
Searing the Beef
We begin with the searing of beef chunks in a Dutch oven. This essential step imparts a deep, rich brown color to the beef and infuses the makings of this stew with a robust flavor.
Aromatics and Umami
The dish takes shape as we sauté the yellow onion, setting the stage for the addition of earthy shiitake mushrooms. Their rich, complex flavor adds depth to the stew, offering a delightful counterpoint to the meat’s richness.
Adding Complexity
To create a more Japanese flavor profile, we add grated garlic, chopped ginger, and white miso. These elements introduce layers of fragrance and complexity, elevating the stew’s flavor.
Deglaze and Infuse
The flavors intensify with the addition of chicken stock, soy sauce, mirin, and lemon zest. The addition of these ingredients result in a savory broth that encapsulates the essence of umami.
Bring on the Veg!
To contrast the beef’s rich flavor, butternut squash or sweet potatoes are added, infusing a delightful creaminess that pairs well with the bold flavors. Additionally, the beech or enoki mushrooms bring a hint of earthy sweetness.
Zest and Zing
Lemon juice is added at the end in the ideal finish that balances all the flavors in this wonderfully well-rounded stew.
Served over a bed of cooked rice, this Japanese-style beef stew recipe delights the palate with its nuanced blend of flavors. The tender beef, earthy mushrooms, creamy squash, and zesty lemon juice create a well-rounded and balanced dish that celebrates some flavors of Japanese cuisine.
Japanese-Style Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chuck, cut in 1-inch chunks
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 6-8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 tablespoons of ginger, chopped
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup mirin
- 1 star anise
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested, separated
- 1½ pounds peeled butternut squash or sweet potatoes, cut in 1-inch chunks
- 8 ounces beech or enoki mushrooms, trimmed
- Scallions, thinly sliced
- Cooked rice
Directions
- Step 1 Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In two batches, sear meat until deeply browned on at least two sides, about six minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
- Step 2 Adjust heat to medium and sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about four minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned, about three minutes.
- Step 3 Add garlic, ginger, and miso and sauté, stirring, until fragrant, about two minutes.
- Step 4 Add stock, soy sauce, mirin, star anise, and lemon zest, stirring and scraping until all the solids are integrated into the liquid. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover, and cook, maintaining a steady simmer. Stir after 30 minutes.
- Step 5 When meat is nearly tender, about 45 minutes, stir in squash and continue to cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about two minutes.
- Step 6 Stir in lemon juice and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve over rice with scallions.
