Osaka is widely known as one of the culinary centres of Japan, boasting famous dishes like Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki and Kshikatsu. However, there is one more thing that should not be ignored and that is “beef”. In Kansai area, including famous Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, beef has long been the most common everyday meat, whereas it is pork in Kanto area, where Tokyo is located. One straightforward example of the beef culture should be Steak-Ju. It’s a simple dish with beef steak served on top of warm rice but I can feel Osaka people’s passion whenever I come across this dish. Having inspire by Roman-Tei, one of Osaka’s famous beef restaurants. My version has double topping (steak and simmered beef).
-INGREDIENTS- (Serves 3 to 4)
<Steak>
600g Beef steak of your choice
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp Vegetable oil
<Steak Sauce>
1 Onion
1 clove Garlic
50ml Sake
100ml Mirin
4 Tbsp Apple juice
30ml white wine vinegar
100ml Soy sauce
<Simmered beef topping>
300g Thinly sliced beef
100g Burdock root (or thinly sliced onions)
300ml Bonito Dashi stock (or water)
5Tbsp Usukuchi Soy sauce (or regular Japanese soy sauce)
3 tbsp Sake
3 tbsp Mirin
3 tbsp Sugar
3 slices of Ginger
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
<Others>
800g Freshly cooked rice(200g/person)
Daikon sprouts (or finely chopped green onion)
2 cloves Garlic (thinly sliced)
Freshly ground black pepper
Wasabi
-METHOD-
1.Peel and roughly dice the onion and the garlic clove. Make them into a smooth paste in a food processor. Adding a few tablespoons of Sake helps it run smoothly.
2.Put the paste and all the other ingredients for the steak sauce in a saucepan. Bring it to a simmer on high heat and then turn down to low. Remove the scum and continue simmering until it’s reduced to half.
3. Wash the burdock root thoroughly to remove the mud on the surface. Scrape off the skin using the back of your knife and chop off the tips. Make a few 5cm cuts on one one end lengthwise, and shave off the root using a knife, as if you are sharpening a pencil, or use a peeler to do the same, which is a safer option.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a sauce pan and add the ginger slices and the burdock root. Sweat them quickly on medium heat and add all the other ingredients for the Gyu-meshi topping except for the beef slices. Bring it to a simmer and add the beef slices. Cover it and simmer on low heat for 20mins, removing the scum.
5. Add 3 table spoons of vegetable oil and the thinly sliced garlic in an iron pan. Turn on the heat and slowly fry the garlic on low heat. Take them out onto a paper towel when they are lightly golden brown. Frying further will cause burnt garlic. Keep the pan and the oil to cook the steak.
6. Season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper. To cook a rare steak, heat the pan on high heat, add the steak and immediately drop the heat to medium. Cook it for one minute on both sides and take it out onto a plate to rest for 4 minutes. (The cooking time for a 2cm thick steak).
7.Put 200g of the hot rice in each Ju-Bako. Slice the steak into bite-size pieces and place them on the rice to cover half of the surface. Put the stewed feed topping on the other half and spoon over a tablespoon of the simmering liquid. Garnish with a few sprouts of Daikon radish. Put the steak sauce in a sauce cup and the garlic chips and a bit of wasabi together on a small plate—these are served on the side of the box.
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