Nikujaga

Posted by spots (Singapore, Singapore) on 5 September 2006 in Food & Cuisine and Portfolio.

In Japanese, niku means meat and jaga means potatoes. The meat in nikujaga is typically beef, but I prefer using pork since pork is sweeter & generally speaking, juicier and less tough. Anyway, there are many many recipes for nikujaga out there - I've tried a couple which use various ingredients like dashi stock, green onion shoots, carrots, and even mushrooms. But at the end of the day, I've found myself falling back on this particular recipe the most. It's clean & simple, and the gravy just makes your heart glow. Apparently, nikujaga is a dish Japanese children often ask their mothers/grandmothers to make for them. I can totally see why. Serve this up with a bowl of freshly steamed jasmine rice and I'm sure you'll have your children (& your Husband) clamouring for more. My husband certainly did at tonight's dinner table! Oh, and yea, Daniel loves this too!

Nikujaga (Japanese pork/beef stew)

4 potatoes, scrubbed & peeled

400g pork chop (or beef chuck)

1 white onion

1/4 cup soy

2tb sugar

2tb mirin

some water

1. Slice potatoes into bite-size chunks. Use scissors to cut pork chops into strips.* Slice onion thinly. Combine the soy, sugar and mirin in a cup.

2. Heat some oil in stew pot. When hot, fry the onions till soft. Then, add the pork on high heat. Stir till browned on all sides. Spoon in the soy, sugar and mirin mixture over meat & onions. Then, add the potatoes. Mix thoroughly.

3. Add enough water to cover 3/4 of the potatoes and meat. Return to boil and lower heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. You may wish to leave the lid open for an extra 10-15 minutes to thicken the gravy, if that's what you prefer. Remember to eat the stew with rice - enjoy the gravy!

* In typical nikujaga, more potatoes and less meat is used. As in, the potatoes are the main focus, with the meat playing a supporting role. But in my version, I use less potatoes and more meat, since I like meaty stews. Also, in typical nikujaga, the meat is sliced very thinly. For me, I prefer my meat slightly thicker strips, so that there's a bit of juice in it! Sorry, I a bit non-traditional Japanese la!