Stewed Beef Shank

This recipe isn’t technically for gyu suji nikomi, which is usually made with meaty cuts of tendon, whereas I use beef shank because the right cut of tendon is relatively difficult to come by. Nevertheless, I wanted to include a version of the dish in this book because it is such an immensely comforting thing to eat and also a real source of insight into dining in Japan. Gyu suji nikomi has all the warm, soul-satisfying characteristics of comfort food, but it’s not heavy; you usually eat it as part of a progression of dishes in a restaurant. At an izakaya, you’ll order a bevy of light dishes and then finish with a small portion of this rich, delicious stew. It’s comfort without the discomfort of overeating. (If you do want to make the dish with tendon, you can make the broth and use it to cook the tendon in a pressure cooker, then add the vegetables once the meat is fully tender.)

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Place the beef shank in a medium (3- to 4-quart) Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot and cover with 8 cups water. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then lower the heat to medium and use a flat mesh skimmer or ladle to skim any impurities that rise to the surface. There may be a fair amount, so take your time and rinse the skimmer with warm water between dips into the liquid. Then continue to simmer for about 15 minutes.

Step 2

Add the sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar, turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and simmer gently for about 1 hour.

Step 3

Add the daikon and burdock to the pot and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the meat is tender. Pull the beef out of the pot with a pair of tongs, use a fork and knife to break the meat into smaller chunks, and return the meat to the pot.

Step 4

Stuff the katsuobushi into a tea ball, a tea bag, or a cheesecloth sachet and drop it into the pot. Let stand for 10 minutes with the pot uncovered, then remove the katsuobushi.

Step 5

Add the ginger and carrots, cover the pot again, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender. Serve the broth, meat, and vegetables together, with bowls of steamed rice on the side, if you like.