Beef Soboro

Spicy Minced Meat

One of my resolutions is to have a plan (meal plan that is ) but here I was in front of an open freezer with no clear idea… It the freezer could talk, it might have said ‘What will it be tonight?’ Quick! …I’m loosing air…my cold air!
Oh my word…maybe I will open a can of soup? Dang it, that was last night. I’m so not good with pressure!

It resembles beef taco, ground meats cooked in seasoning sauce until all the liquid is evaporated and has dry appearance and is called soboro (そぼろ). Not very complicated, homey, low fat…good gracious, I have every ingredient!
I minced un oignon, I mean onion while microwave was Auto-Defrost-ING the beef. I was overwhelmed with joy, started to sob…more like over powered by onion but whatever!

This soboro recipe (adapted from Today’s Cooking Magazine) is extra ordinary! Low fat and a little punch of red pepper and curry make it spicy yet mild with yogurt ….mmm Japanese food with international flair!…
So lovely on pasta! And perhaps in tacos? Or stuffed into dumplings?

Ingredients and Instruction for 4 servings (Print Recipe Here)

• 400g Ground Beef
• 1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil divided
• 3-4 cloves of garlic minced
• Adult thumb size ginger peeled and minced
• 1 medium size onion minced

I recommend that the following 8 ingredients be measured and put in small bowls for hassle free, smooth transition.

• 2 Tablespoons curry powder
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoons (more or less) red chili powder
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 4 Tablespoons Worcestershire  sauce
• 4 Tablespoons Tomato ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 Tablespoons parmesan cheese

Optional condiments –shiso leaves, green onion,
                                           Japanese ginger/myoga(みょうが)

• Toasted sesame seeds
• Salt and pepper

1. Prepare 4-5 cups hot water in large bowl. submerge ground beef for 30 seconds (this removes excess fat). Drain through strainer. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in large skillet at low heat. Add minced garlic sauté until fragrant then add minced onion and ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Keep sautéing and pour 1 Tablespoon of water every time it gets dry, repeat sauté/water sequence until the onion is cooked and no liquid is present.
   
3. Add drained ground beef and sauté. Sprinkle curry powder into the pan. then follow by yogurt, honey, chili powder and mix well.
4. Add next 4 ingredients (red wine, Worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup, soy sauce) cook for 15 minutes or until liquids are evaporated.
5. Finish with salt and pepper to taste, parmesan cheese, drizzled with 1 teaspoon of extra olive oil cook for 1 minute. Serve with thinly sliced shiso leaves, chopped green onion or thinly sliced Japanese ginger/myoga (see picture below) soaked in ice cold water for a few minutes to crisp (myoga is optional though, very fitting with this dish). Lastly, sprinkle with toasted sesame and coarsely ground black pepper. Mix well to eat.
   

Option: The effort is same so double the recipe and keep some in refrigerator for an another use. In the picture below I topped soboro on the cooked hot rice.

Everyday posting of my Today’s TAPAS pic on Instgram is a learning experience of composition, food styling, how to use filter app, etc. Today’s TAPAS is my lunch. Hopefully the bite size potion help shed some pounds which I found over the holidays…then again sometimes I feel like I need ten of those.

Here are some of my posting – from left clockwise, white radish sprouts & lox salmon with wasabi sauce, roasted red beets and mozzarella cheese stack, vegan salad rolls, crab salad wrapped in savory crepe. A mini hamburger with fries.

The bun used in mini hamburger was made with a small amount of dough stole from my husband’s French baguette. .