Beef and Gobo (burdock root) are very common combination in Japanese cooking. Together, they make the very nice earthy rich flavors.
My soup & stew donabe, "Miso-shiru Nabe", makes the wonderful quick stew. I made simple stew, called "Shigure-ni", with beef and gobo (burdock root). The addition of sansho (Japanese mountain peppers) berries gave the nice layer in the flavors. This dish can be made in less than 20 minutes!
Beef and Gobo Quick Stew "Shigure-ni"
1. In Miso-shiru Nabe, saute 1/2 pound gobo (sliced into thin disks, soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained) and 3 oz thinly-sliced konnyaku (yam jelly) in 1T sesame oil for 2 minutes.
2. Add 5 oz dashi stock, 2 tablespoons sake, and 1 tablespoon raw brown sugar. Cover the surface with a piece of foil, cover with the lid and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, saute 1/2 pound thinly-sliced beef in 1T olive oil. Add thinly-sliced (about 1/2 tablespoon) ginger and saute a little more.
4. Add the meat-ginger mixture to the donabe. Cover again and simmer for additional 10-15 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons sansho berries (if you can't get them, you don't have to add) and stir. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
5. Serve into small bowls, and garnish with chopped mitsuba herbs (optional).
This dish is great with plain donabe rice.
Happy donabe life.
