00:00Every country has a dish that feels like home. In Japan, that dish is Nikujaga.
00:04Tender meat and potatoes simmered in a sweet savoury dashi broth are so comforting,
00:09one bowl says everything, words cannot.
00:13If you'd like a printable version of this recipe to keep in your kitchen,
00:17just google Nikujagasutachi to find it.
00:20First, peel 300g of waxy potatoes.
00:24What I have today is a Japanese variety called Meikween,
00:27but of course use any waxy varieties you can get in your area, like Yukon Gold.
00:33Drop them whole into a bowl of cold water.
00:36We'll cut them into 3cm chunks right before they go into the pot.
00:41Keeping them whole for now prevents too much starch from leaking out into the soaking water.
00:47Next, roughly cut 150g of carrot into pieces, no thicker than 2cm,
00:54and slice 150g of onion into 1.5-2cm wedges.
01:00Then take 200g of thinly sliced pork belly and cut it into pie-sized pieces, roughly 5cm wide.
01:09Pork belly is the most forgiving choice for this dish.
01:12The extra fat keeps the meat tender and melts into the broth with a gentle sweetness that ties everything together.
01:21Pork shoulder slices work as a lean alternative, and you can go Kansai style with thinly sliced beef.
01:28In that case, shaved steak sold for cheese steaks is actually a great no-first substitute.
01:35Quick note on equipment.
01:37My recipe was developed using a 30cm carbon steel wok.
01:43Unconventional for a Japanese dish, sure.
01:46But the curved base and tall walls make searing, tossing and simmering all surprisingly easy.
01:53An enameled Dutch oven or a heavy bottom sauté pan with tall size works just as well.
02:00Just avoid anything too narrow or shallow.
02:03Alright, everything's prepped, let's cook.
02:06Set your pot over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of neutral cooking oil.
02:11When the oil shimmers, lay the pork slices in a single layer.
02:17Let the meat sit completely undisturbed for about a minute per side.
02:21If you're looking for golden brown edges and the unmistakable toasty savoury smell,
02:26searing also renders out some of the pork belly's fat and that becomes a cooking medium for the vegetables.
02:34Now, this searing step is actually optional in some Japanese households,
02:39but I think the difference in depth of flavour is real.
02:43In the same pot, using the beautiful rendered pork fat left behind,
02:48add the onion wedges, stir them gently or medium heat until the edges soften,
02:53and begin to turn a light golden colour, about 2-3 minutes.
02:58Once the onions are looking good, drain the potatoes and cut them into thirds or quarters,
03:05those 3cm chunks we talked about.
03:09Add them to the pot along with the carrots and give the pot a few gentle shakes,
03:15just enough to cool everything in a thin film of the pork fat.
03:19Now, here is a quick note on potato prep.
03:22There's a traditional Japanese technique called mentori,
03:26where you use a knife or peeler to gently round off the sharp edges of each potato chunk.
03:32The idea is that those corners are the first crumble during simmering,
03:36releasing studs that close the broth and can turn the whole pot into mashed potato territory.
03:44If you want to go proper, do it, but honestly, I don't bother too much for Nikujaga.
03:49I actually like some bits of potato dissolving into the broth,
03:53it creates a nice texture difference, and gives the sauce a bit of rustic body.
03:59Pour in 450ml of dashi stock, homemade dashi made from bonito flakes and konbu is wonderful here,
04:06but teabuck saladash packets are a great next best option.
04:10Instant granulated dashi like hondashi works too, but keep in mind,
04:15it contains added salt and other flavour boosters.
04:18Dashi is what makes this broth taste clean and deeply satisfying rather than just salty sweet.
04:24It's the backbone.
04:26Raise the heat and bring the liquid toward a gentle, almost boil.
04:30Wash the surface carefully. You want a soft rolling movement where small bubbles rise lazily around
04:37the edges, roughly 90 to 95 degrees Celsius. The moment you see large aggressive bubbles,
04:45back the heat down immediately.
04:46Now, add one tablespoon of light brown sugar and three tablespoons of sake.
04:52I like using light brown sugar, but of course, white sugar or raw sugar will work too.
04:58And the sake adds depth and a gentle aromatic layer to the broth as it simmers.
05:05Next, place an otoshibuta, a droplet, directly on the surface of the simmering liquid.
05:12This little tool is doing four things at once.
05:16It keeps ingredients gently submerged so they season evenly.
05:20It reduces the violence of convection currents.
05:23It controls the evaporation rate and it helps trap aromas in the broth.
05:29You've got options.
05:30Perchmine paper is easy to cut to size and research has shown it gives the most even seasonal penetration.
05:38A wooden droplet delivers excellent tenderness but can cause more breakage.
05:44Aluminum, foil, stainless steel, and silicone lids all work too.
05:49For today, I've got a homemade parchment paper droplet ready to go.
05:53I've made this one ahead of time.
05:56If you want to see how to make it on, check out my separate how-to video.
06:01Now, we simmer for 15 minutes until a skewer slides into the potatoes easily,
06:07but the edges still hold their shape.
06:10While the potatoes simmer, let's put the waiting time to work.
06:15If you're using shirataki, that's 100g of konnyak noodles,
06:20bring a small separate pot of water to a vigorous boil,
06:24and blanch them for 2-3 minutes, then drain and rinse.
06:28This removes the natural odor that comes straight out of the package.
06:34Shirataki are completely optional, but they are a traditional addition,
06:38and they give each bite a fun, springy, chewy contrast against the soft potatoes.
06:44If you can get them, they're worth tossing in.
06:47Alright, 15 minutes are up.
06:50Remove the droplet.
06:51Now add 3 tablespoons of mirin, 2 tablespoons of Japanese soy sauce,
06:57the blanched shirataki noodles, and the seared pork belly from earlier.
07:01Resist the urge to stir, I know it's tempting.
07:05Instead, tilt the pot gently forward and back a few times,
07:08rocking the liquid so the soy sauce disperses across the surface
07:12and trickles down around the ingredients.
07:16This protects your now tender potatoes from the force of a spatula
07:21while still distributing seasonings throughout.
07:24Place the droplet back on the surface and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
07:31And why are we adding the soy sauce this late?
07:34Soy sauce's salt component penetrates food faster than sugar does.
07:38If it goes in too early, the potato surfaces tighten up
07:43before the sweetness has had time to fully diffuse in wood.
07:48Turn off the heat.
07:49Now if time allows, and I highly recommend this, let the pot sit covered until it comes to room temperature.
07:58Seasoning keeps diffusing into each piece drawing the rest,
08:02and the potato starch firms up for a better bite on the heat.
08:06Once it gets to room temperature, store it in the fridge with the lid on.
08:11A perfect meal prep option, right?
08:14When you're ready to serve, bring the pot back to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
08:20Remove the droplet for the last time.
08:22Now, using a ladle, scoop up the simmering broth,
08:25and gently pour it over the export tops of the vegetables, basically basting them.
08:32Now, add another 1 tablespoon of soy sauce as a finishing seasoning,
08:37and rub the pot gently to distribute.
08:39Let it simmer uncovered for another 2-3 minutes, watching the liquid reduce and thicken slightly.
08:46And now, taste the broth.
08:48Trust your palate here.
08:50If it's a touch flat, a small splash of more soy sauce will sharpen everything up.
08:55If it feels too salty, a tiny pinch of sugar can soften the edge.
08:59This is your dish.
09:01Almost there.
09:03Blunt 8-10 snow peas, string removed,
09:06in boiling water for just 1 minute to keep them bright green.
09:11Chill them in cold water, then slice.
09:13Snap peas are a fine substitute if you can't find snow peas.
09:18Ladle the nikujaga into deep bowls,
09:21arranging the meat and vegetables so you can see the variety of shapes and colors.
09:26Scatter those bright green snow pea slices over the top.
09:31The pop of color against the golden brown broth is beautiful.
09:35And there you have it.
09:37My version of nikujaga.
09:38Sweet savoury shoyu backbone layered over clean dash umami.
09:43Mellow onion sweetness.
09:45Rich rendered pork fat.
09:47And potatoes that are seasoned all the way through.
09:50Want even more delicious recipes?
09:52Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
09:56Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time.
09:59And if you're ready to cook, grab the written instructions by clicking the full recipe box
10:03with a picture that's about to pop up on your screen.
10:07That's a wrap.
10:08You can find a full printable version of this recipe on my website,
10:11linked right here on the screen.
10:13It has all the extra details to help you get perfect every time.
10:16If you enjoy this, check out my classic playlist.
10:19And next week, I'm making soup curry.
10:22Hit subscribe so you don't miss it.
10:24See you then.
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