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–+ servings

Japanese Style Beef Stew

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 40 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients 
 

Caramelized onion

  • 300 g onion thinly sliced perpendicular to the fibers
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 pinch salt

Beef

  • 500 g stewing beef chuck, cut into 4 to 5 cm cubes, optional beef tendon blend (4:1) adds body
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour or rice flour for GF

Pan aromatics

  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 2 dried bay leaves central rib removed

Simmering liquid

  • 400 g canned tomato 1 standard can = 400 g, chopped
  • 240 ml red wine medium-bodied dry red; or unsweetened grape or cranberry juice
  • 240 ml water
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 150 g carrot peeled, cut into large pieces
  • 100 g button mushrooms sliced

Finishers

  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp grated apple or apple jam
  • 1 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase) or any miso already in your fridge
  • 5 g dark chocolate 70 percent or darker
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Serving

  • fresh parsley optional decoration
  • baguette toast as needed, sliced

Instructions 

  • Thinly slice 300 g onion against the grain. Heat a pan over medium with 1 tbsp cooking oil. Slide the onions into the pan and fry for about 10 minutes or until golden. Mix occasionally to prevent burning. Reduce the heat to low and sprinkle with 1 pinch salt. Gently cook for another 20-30 minutes or until deep amber. Add a splash of water and mix from time to time if it start to stick.
    Caramelized onions in a frying pan
  • While you wait, cut 500 g stewing beef into bitesize pieces and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Rest until the onions are done. Check notes if using beef tendons/sinew.
    beef steak cut into bitesize pieces sprinkled with salt and pepper
  • Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Dust the beef with 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, then add it to the heated pot in a single layer and sear until browned all over.
    Searing beef for Japanese beef stew in a pot on the stovetop
    • If your pot isn't wide enough to accommodate the meat in a single layer, fry in batches to ensure browning.
  • Once browned, add the caramelized onions along with 2 cloves garlic, 2 dried bay leaves, 400 g canned tomato, 240 ml red wine, and 240 ml water. Mix, then place 2 sprigs fresh rosemary on top. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
    Japanese beef stew ingredients in a pot
  • Turn off the heat and leave to cool for one hour. You can use this time to prepare the other ingredients if you like.
    Beef stew simmering in a pot covered with a lid.
  • After the rest period, remove the rosemary and bay leaves. Add 150 g carrot and 100 g button mushrooms, and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
    adding sliced button mushrooms and roughly cut carrot to pot of Japanese beef stew.
  • Once it's gently bubbling, add 1 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp tomato ketchup, and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce.
    Making Japanese beef stew in a pot on the stovetop.
  • Place the lid slightly ajar, lower the heat once more, and simmer for 1 hour. Mix occasionally to prevent scorching. The final consistency should be thick, glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
    Japanese beef stew simmering in a pot with a lid slightly ajar.
  • Turn off the heat and add 1 tbsp grated apple, 1 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase), 5 g dark chocolate, and 1 tbsp unsalted butter. Stir until dissolved into the stew. Taste test, if it needs more flavor add a touch of salt. If it seems too rich, add a splash of water a little at a time.
    Japanese beef stew with butter, grated apple and dark chocolate for added depth.
  • Divide into serving bowls, garnish with fresh parsley and serve with toasted baguette slices. Enjoy!
    Japanese style beef and tomato stew scooped onto a slice of baguette

Notes

If you use beef sinew/tendon: Before you start the recipe, cut into bitesize piece and place in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, bubble for a few minutes, then drain, wash thoroughly and return to the pot. Top up with fresh water and simmer on low for about 1 hour. Add it to the stew at the same time as the beef chuck.
Never boil once beef is in. Hold the liquid at 85 to 90°C (185 to 194°F), a lazy bubble and no more. A full 100°C (212°F) boil contracts the muscle fibers and squeezes moisture out, leaving dry meat in a dark sauce.
The 1-hour rest is not optional. Kill the heat after the first simmer, lid on, and walk away for a full hour. The fibers relax and drink the surrounding broth back in like a sponge.
Stir the finishers off the heat. Add the miso, dark chocolate, grated apple, and butter after the burner is off.
Miso amount is a starting point. Salt levels vary dramatically between miso types and brands, with red miso carrying roughly double the sodium of white. Start with a rounded 1 tsp, taste, and add more gradually up to the full 1 tbsp. There is no single correct amount.
Day 2 beats day 1. Cool the pot on the counter until barely warm, then refrigerate overnight. The cool-reheat cycle deepens the sauce, the beef fibers pull more broth in, and the finishing flavors settle across the whole pot. Reheat gently the next evening, not at a rolling boil.