Japanese-Style Beef Stew

I tried a different recipe for pot roast today. I found it in the NY Times. I used chicken stock, mirin and sweet potato.

Japanese-Style Beef Stew

• MARK BITTMAN YIELD4 servings TIMEAt least 1 hour

The beef stew here will be unfamiliar to most cooks, though it has much in common with the classic American dish. It is Japanese in origin and loaded with the warmth of soy, ginger, sweetness (best provided by mirin, the sweet Japanese cooking wine, but sugar or honey will do, too), winter squash and the peel and juice of a lemon. These simple and delicious counterpoints make a great stew.

Featured in: The Minimalist; Warmer Up From Japan. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless chuck in 1-inch to 1 1/2-inch chunks

• 2 cups chicken stock, water or dashi (see note)

• ¼ cup soy sauce

• ¼ cup mirin, honey or sugar

• 10 nickel-size slices of ginger

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• 1 lemon

• 1 ½ pounds peeled butternut, pumpkin or other winter squash or sweet potatoes in 1-inch chunks

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

513 calories; 11 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram

polyunsaturated fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 51 grams protein;

128 milligrams cholesterol; 1331 milligrams sodium

PREPARATION

1 In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, sear meat until nicely browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Transfer chunks to a medium-size casserole.

2 Add stock to the skillet, and cook over high heat, stirring and scraping until all the solids are integrated into the liquid. Pour into the casserole with soy sauce, mirin, ginger and a couple of grindings of pepper. Peel lemon, and add peel to the mixture. Juice lemon.

3 Cover, and cook on top of stove (or in a 350-degree oven), maintaining a steady simmer. Stir after 30 minutes. Then check meat every 15 minutes.

4 When meat is nearly tender, about 45 minutes, stir in squash and continue to cook until squash is tender but not mushy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add salt if necessary, then stir in lemon juice. Serve.

Tip

• To make dashi, you need two ingredients that are probably not in your pantry: kelp, a seaweed; and dried bonito flakes. Both are sold in Japanese markets, where kelp is called konbu. You can also find kelp at any health food store. The process is simple: immerse a four-inch piece of kelp in two cups of water and warm it over low heat (do not boil) for about 10 minutes. Add a handful -- about half a cup is right -- of bonito flakes and turn off the heat. Let it sit for a few minutes, then strain.