Nikujaga Japanese Meat Potato Stew Nimono

Ingredients

• 300 g beef (sukiyaki-grade) or pork shoulder, thinly sliced
• 500 g waxy potatoes, cut into pieces no larger than 4 cm
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
• 200 g shirataki konnyaku noodles, drained and cut into manageable lengths
• 4 spring onions, cut into 4 cm lengths
• For the broth
• 600 ml dashi
• 60 ml soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp mirin, added in final 2 minutes only

Method

1. 1
   Place the meat in a cold pot and set over medium heat. Allow the fat to render, turning the slices until the meat is just cooked through and the base of the pot carries a visible film of rendered fat — this foundational richness is the first layer of flavour.
2. 2
   Add the potatoes and onion to the pot and turn to coat in the rendered fat. Pour in the dashi and add the soy sauce and sugar. Bring to a simmer. Nestle the shirataki noodles among the vegetables. Set an otoshibuta (drop lid) directly on the surface of the liquid — this is where the dish lives or dies: the drop lid maintains even temperature distribution and prevents jostling of the vegetables, ensuring each component absorbs the broth uniformly as the liquid cooks down; resist lifting the lid during simmering.
3. 3
   Simmer steadily until the potatoes are tender and the broth has reduced to a concentrated glaze that coats every surface. Pierce a potato piece with a skewer — it should meet no resistance. The pot at this stage should be nearly dry, not soupy.
4. 4
   Add the mirin and the spring onions. Simmer uncovered for a final 2 minutes only. The broth remaining in the pot will take on a lacquered sheen from the mirin and the thin film of meat fat — sight confirms the dish is ready.