.

Key to this is to allow for everything needing different cooking times. The best outcome is things are cooked but still have bite. i.e you have a piece of apple, the carrots have crunch.

Also make sure the pasta does not end up over cooked.

.

Marinade

50 / 50 Rosemary & Basil

Sesome Oil

White Miso

Garlic

Ginger fresh not powder.

Pestle & Mortar into a paste.

i.e qty for 1 kg meat, 1/4 cup Basil, 1/4 Rosemary, 2 heaped tsp Miso, Garlic & Ginger to taste (use fresh not powder ) Oil to make a thick paste.

The Meat

It should be thin cut about 1mm to 2 mm thick slices / strips cut CROS GRAIN

Depending on quality, it will need tenderizing.

This can be with a tenderizing hammer. Hit each one to break fibre. Down side of this is with you need to cut the fibres but not thin the meat.

Baking Soda – This works well but monitor the time carefully.
Dry the meat you can rub soda on to meat.

I prefer to dilute some soda in water and soak meat.

VERY IMPORTANT – MAX 15 mins. Longer will not tenderize more but will affect the texture and may make it chewy.

Salt- This works well but no my choice for this as it draws the moisture out. On a thick cut thats ok but on slices all moisture is important.

Acid Cook – This and be done by resting the meat in an acid :

vinegar (any kind, but be aware of its effect on flavor)
Worcestershire, tomato, teriyaki, or soy sauce
wine or beer
lemon or lime juice
yogurt or buttermilk
Kiwi fruit is good.
NOTE: Just because it is citric it does not mean it can acid cook.

Depending on thickness 1 to 2 hours. More will not help on thin cut.

After tenderizing , cover the meat pieces and leave in cool place for min 4 hours, over night is fine.

NOTE: Tenderizing is a separate step to marinading.

Main Dish

Carrot

Onion

Pepper, any colour is fine, green can be a little sour.

Tomatoes – quartered

Apple – At the end , peel and big chunks

Ginger – Fresh

Garlic

Stock – depends on the pan size, enough to mostly cover things.

Pasta shapes better than spaghetti

Method

Pre heat oven 160 C this is important. Do not skip.

Except for the Apple I peel, chunky chop in advance. I use bowls which are used based on cooking time.

Brown the meat can be done in the casserole dish

Gentle fry onions, add carrot cubes/ slices pieces.

Start to cook the pasta – no more than 3 mins boiling. It should have just started to soften a little. Cook less than Al Denti – Remove from boiling water and set aside.

The water from pasta can be used to make stock.

Add, onions to meat in casserole dish add a little stock, bring to gentle bubble boil.

Fry the peppers for 1 min – Re use the pan and oil from the onions.

Add peppers and the tasty oil to the casserole dish. There should only be a little oil

THE GOAL IS NOT TO LOOSE A Flavour

Add pasta

Add stock as needed.

Cooking in oven 15 – 20 mins

Stir in quartered toms and apple chunks.

Add garlic and ginger – use a press.

Check if more stock is needed. The final goal is there is a juice but the dish is not drowned in liquid.

A nice touch is sprinkle some cheese .

Cook 10 – 15 mins.

Serve

Ingredients

Okonomiyaki Batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) (If you use a measuring cup, follow this method: fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. 120 g.)
• ¼ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
• ¼ tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 5.6 oz nagaimo/yamaimo (mountain yam) (2-3″, 5-8 cm)
• ¾ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock; click to learn more) (You can make the standard kombu + katsuobushi awase dashi or use ¾ cup water + 1 tsp dashi powder. For vegetarian, use kombu dashi.)
• 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
• ½ cup tenkasu/agedama (tempura scraps)
• ¼ cup pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga)

Other Ingredients

• 1 large cabbage (1.6 lb, 740 g)
• ½ lb sliced pork belly (You can thinly slice the pork belly if your pork belly is a slab. You can sub with shrimp or squid. For vegetarian, skip and use various mushroom.)
• neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc) (for cooking okonomiyaki)

Quick Okonomiyaki Sauce

• 1 ½ Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 4 Tbsp ketchup
• 3 ½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Toppings

• okonomi sauce
• Japanese mayonnaise
• katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (skip for vegetarian)
• aonori (dried green seaweed)
• green onions/scallions
• pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga)

Instructions

• Gather all the ingredients.

To Prepare Okonomiyaki Batter

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp sugar, and ¼ tsp baking powder and mix all together.
• Peel and grate nagaimo in a small bowl (I use this grater that I love). Note: I don’t have any issues, but you may get itchy by touching nagaimo. Work quickly and rinse your hands immediately after. Nagaimo is very slimy and slippery, so make sure you have a good grip if you wear a kitchen glove.
• Add the grated nagaimo and dashi in the bowl.
• Mix all together till combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Tip: This relaxes the gluten in the batter and improves the flavor and texture (fluffier). Some okonomiyaki shops refrigerate the batter overnight. Meanwhile, you can prepare the okonomiyaki sauce and other ingredients.

To Make Okonomiyaki Sauce

• Meanwhile, gather all the ingredients for okonomiyaki Sauce.
• Combine 1 ½ Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp oyster sauce, 4 Tbsp ketchup, and 3 ½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Mix all together until sugar is completely dissolved.

To Prepare Other Ingredients

• Discard the core of the cabbage and then mince the cabbage leaves.
• Cut the pork belly slices in half and set aside.

To Cook Okonomiyaki

• After one hour, take out the batter from the refrigerator. Add 4 large eggs, ½ cup (8 Tbsp) tempura scraps (tenkasu/agedama), and ¼ cup (4 Tbsp) pickled red ginger (kizami beni shoga) in the bowl. Mix well until well-combined.
• Add chopped cabbage to the batter ⅓ at a time. Mix well before adding the rest.
• In a large pan, heat vegetable oil on medium heat. When the frying pan is hot (400ºF or 200ºC), spread the batter in a circle on the pan. We like thicker okonomiyaki (final thickness is ¾ inches or 2 cm). If you’re new to making okonomiyaki, make a smaller and thinner size so it’s easier to flip.
• Place 2-3 sliced pork belly on top of okonomiyaki and cook covered for 5 minutes.
• When the bottom side is nicely browned, flip over.
• Gently press the okonomiyaki to fix the shape and keep it together. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Flip over one last time and cook uncovered for 2 minutes. If you’re going to cook the next batch, transfer to a plate.

To Serve

• Here are the ingredients for toppings. Apply okonomiyaki sauce with a brush or spoon, add Japanese mayonnaise in zigzagging lines (optional), and sprinkle dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi). You can also put dried green seaweed (aonori), chopped green onions, and pickled red ginger on top for garnish.

Yes! You can also make your own homemade miso from scratch – with just 4 ingredients and a little patience! My simple step-by-step instructions on How to Make Miso will guide you through this process. Get the recipe here ^[4].

Make Homemade Miso from scratch with just 4 ingredients and a little patience. My simple step-by-step instructions on How to Make Miso will guide you through this process. Once miso paste is made, you can use it for many delicious Japanese dishes!

As a home cook and a Japanese cuisine advocator, I want to be able to share not just the recipes, but also to uphold the tradition of making food from scratch. I believe there is a beauty in preserving the heritage integral to our food culture. Do you agree? This year I’ve taken up a few cooking projects that I’d like to accomplish, and making miso paste from scratch is one of them.

This is my first time making miso, and I can’t be any more excited to share the experience with you!

Quick Overview of Miso Making

The process of making miso takes 2 days, but it is not until 6 months later only you get to use the product. Umm… are you still here?

It may sound daunting, but the method is actually simple and the result is totally worth the effort!

In my recipe below, I included both Instant Pot and Stove Top options for cooking the soybeans.

Day 1

1. Wash soybeans
2. Soak soybeans for 18 hours (don’t cut it short!)

Day 2

1. Cook soybeans (pressure cook – 20 mins; simmer – 3 to 4 hrs)
2. Mash soybeans
3. Combine soybeans, salt, and koji
4. Pack the mixture into a jar
5. Store the miso and wait for 6 months…

What You Need for Making Miso – Ingredients & Tools

4 Simple Ingredients

1. Organic soybeans

I purchased organic American soybeans from WholeFoods where you can get the exact amount of soybeans you need from a dispenser. You can also look up Laura Soybeans  ^[5]or purchase them on Amazon ^[6].

2. Fine sea salt

I used fine sea salt for my miso because it yields the best flavor and is rich in minerals.

3. Rice koji

Rice koji is steamed rice (and sometimes with other grains such as barley) that has been treated with a fermentation culture, Aspergillus oryzae, koji-kin (麹菌). The enzymes found in the koji work to break down carbohydrates and proteins into amino acids, fatty acids, and other nutrients during the fermentation process.

In the US, you can find Cold Mountain ^[7] brand of rice koji for sale. You can also buy rice koji from Anything from Japan ^[8] which ships internationally.

4. Filtered water

Quality of water plays an important role in making good miso paste, so be sure to use filtered water that is safe and has removed most of the impurities.

All-Purpose Miso Meat Sauce (Niku Miso)

This easy Miso Meat Sauce (Niku Miso) is a great side dish to go with steamed rice, noodles, or lettuce wrap! As a bonus, it’s meal prep friendly! Prep Time10 minsCook Time20 minsTotal Time30 mins Course: Side DishCuisine: JapaneseKeyword: miso, pork Servings: 4 (as a side dish) Calories: 368kcal Author: Namiko Chen

Ingredients

• 340 g ground pork
• 1 knob ginger
• ½ negi (long green onion) (you can use 2 green onions/scallions)
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil (roasted)
• 4 Tbsp miso
• 2 Tbsp sugar

Seasonings

• 45 ml mirin
• 45 ml sake
• 15 ml soy sauce
• 30 ml water
• 2 tsp potato starch/cornstarch

Instructions

• Gather all the ingredients.
• Grate ginger and chop half of the Negi into small rounds.
• To make seasonings, combine 3 Tbsp mirin, 3 Tbsp sake, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.
• Add 2 Tbsp water and 2 tsp potato starch/cornstarch. Mix all together until everything is combined well.
• Heat a saucepan or frying pan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add 1 Tbsp sesame oil and chopped negi. Coat the negi with oil until fragrant.
• Add the ground meat and break up the meat.
• Add the grated ginger and cook the meat until no longer pink.
• Add the miso and sugar and combine well.
• Add the seasonings and cook on medium-low heat.
• When the cooking liquid is reduced to your liking, turn off the heat. You can leave more sauce or less sauce depending on how you want to use the meat sauce. Transfer to a bowl or container. Serve hot along with steamed rice, lettuce cups, etc (See the post for some ideas).

To Store

• You can keep in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat only the portion you will serve. You can also freeze it up to 3-4 weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 368 kcal · Carbohydrates: 15 g · Protein: 17 g · Fat: 23 g · Saturated Fat: 7 g · Cholesterol: 61 mg · Sodium: 924 mg · Potassium: 339 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 11 g · Vitamin A: 81 IU · Vitamin C: 2 mg · Calcium: 29 mg · Iron: 1 mg

ngredients 

 

For Soup Broth

• ▢ 2 ¼ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock; click to learn more) (Homemade dashi recipe below; or 2 ¼ cup water + 1 to 1 ¼ tsp dashi powder)
• ▢ 1 Tbsp mirin
• ▢ 1 tsp sugar
• ▢ 1 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce (or regular soy sauce; we use light color soy sauce here so the soup doesn’t become too dark)
• ▢ ½ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)

For Kitsune Udon

• ▢ 2 servings udon noodles (180 g dry udon noodles; 500 g frozen/boiled udon noodles)
• ▢ 4 inari age (seasoned fried tofu pouch) (You can buy canned or refrigerated inariage package; Homemade inariage recipe, click here.)
• ▢ 1 green onion/scallion
• ▢ 4 slices narutomaki (fish cakes) (optional; skip for vegetarian/vegan)
• ▢ Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese Seven Spice) (optional; sprinkle at the table)

For Homemade Dashi

• ▢ 2 ½ cups water
• ▢ 1 kombu (dried kelp) (2″ x 5″, 5 cm x 12 cm)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (0.5 oz: skip for vegetarian/vegan)

Method

Gather all the ingredients. Before we start: It’s really important to have good flavorful dashi for this recipe. Although you can take the shortcut by using dashi powder or dashi packet, I encourage you to make your own dashi ^[11] because the broth tastes so much better! It only takes less than 30 minutes to make

To Make Homemade Dashi (Please skip if you already have dashi)

• Put the kombu and 2 ½ cup water in a measuring cup for at least 30 minutes. If you have time, soak for 3 hours or up to half a day. Kombu’s flavor comes out naturally from soaking in water. If you don’t have time at all, skip soaking.

• Transfer kombu and water to a saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil over medium-low heat. 
• Just before boiling (you will see bubbles around the edges of the pan), remove the kombu. If you leave the kombu inside, the dashi will become slimy and bitter. Now this broth is Kombu Dashi (vegetarian/vegan) and it’s ready to make udon soup. For non-vegetarian/vegan, add 1 ½ cups katsuobushi and bring it to a boil again. 
• Once the dashi is boiling, reduce the heat, simmer for just 15 seconds, and turn off the heat. Let the katsuobushi sink to the bottom, about 10-15 minutes. Strain the dashi through a fine-mesh sieve set over a saucepan. Now you have roughly 2 ¼ cup dashi.

To Make Udon Soup

• In a saucepan, add the dashi, 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and Â½ tsp kosher salt and bring to boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat or cover and keep on a low simmer.

To Prepare Toppings

• Squeeze excess liquid from the inariage (or you can keep it as it is). Cut the green onion into thin slices.  Slice the Narutomaki fish cake into 1/8 inch (3 mm).

To Prepare Udon Noodles

• Bring a large pot of water to boil for udon noodles. My favorite udon is the frozen Sanuki Udon ^[12]. Cook the frozen udon noodles in boiling water for 1 minute (no need to defrost).  If you use dry noodles, follow the package instructions.
• Pick up the noodles in a strainer or drain the hot water.  Make sure to remove excess water (which will end up diluting your soup).

To Assemble

• Serve udon noodles and hot soup in serving bowls and top with inariage, narutomaki, green onion and sprinkles of shichimi togarashi.

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[table]

Quantity, Ingredient

4 Tbsp, dark soy sauce

4 Tbsp, Sake

4 Tbsp, mirin

2 Tbsp, sugar ( optional )

1 Tsp, grated  ginger – to taste

small, To make a glaze add some corn flour mixed with a little water.

[/table]

 

[table]

Method

Warm the sake in a saucepan, then  combine the rest of the ingredients and bring to a gentle boil.

Stir the sauce while it’s being reduced to the consistency you like.

Possibly add sugar to taste and if required add corn flour to thicken to make a glaze..

[/table]