B&B

Burdock and Beef

Jubilation! I feel that and at the same time things get hectic when the holidays are approaching. Our meal selection moves to the ”No-Fuss” zone often (like every day).

A quick inventory of my refrigerator indicates I need to use burdock very soon. This root vegetable is a fairly long survivor in the vegetable bin though, the flavor might diminish and the nutrition value may be questionable…yada yada yada…the bottom line is that I don’t want to throw it away.

It’s not exactly a 30 minute meal but for me it uses the familiar nikomi (煮込み/stewing) method, so no need to see the recipe. It resembles sukiyaki, the sweet beef flavor is just what you need to quiet down your hunger before jumping into the car to catch that new movie starting in 15 minutes!

Ingredients and Instruction for 4 servings (Print Recipe Here)

Necessary equipment: drop lid – use one size smaller pan lid or make with foil

• 1 burdock
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 300g thinly sliced beef (At the Asian market it is called sukiyaki beef) cut in 2 inch strips
  
• 2 cups dashi stock (I used 1 packet of powdered dashi dissolved in 2 cups hot water)
  
• 4 Tablespoons of sugar or 4 packets of pure stevia for a sugar-free version
• 3 Tablespoons of sake
• 2-3 Tablespoons of soy sauce or tamari sauce for gluten-free version
• Toppings -1-2 stalks of green onion or mitsuba (三つ葉/Japanese honeywort) chopped for garnish (optional)

1. Prepare burdock – Do not peel the skin. Scrub and wash burdock with a vegetable brush under running water thoroughly. Slice in 1/2 inch diagonally. Soak in water for 5 minutes, drain. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan at medium heat. Add prepared burdock and sauté for 3 -4 minutes.
3. Add beef and dashi stock. When it starts boiling, lower the heat to low. Scoop out scum that appears on top with a spoon and discard into a bowl filled with water to rinse the spoon.
4. Add sugar and sake and place the drop lid on top. Simmer for 10 minutes.
   
5. Add soy sauce and cook for 20 minutes. until the liquid is nearly evaporated.
6. Heat the pan to high and stir the burdock and beef to intensify the saltiness about 1 minute (All the liquid should be gone at this point).
7. Serve hot over cooked rice and garnish with chopped green onion or mitsuba, dropping an egg yolk is also a nice move.

Variation – Because I like to have some sauce in rice bowl, I shorten the cooking time – see step #5 and I skip # 6.

 

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

                                                   - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!