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Meaty with a dash of veggies

Meat

Beef shigureni

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Thinly sliced meat simmered in soy sauce, sake and mirin with ginger and sugar. A tasty and boldly flavored stew, the sauce of beef shigureni is a sweeter version of teriyaki with the subtle heat of ginger. Perfect donburi meal!

Beef shigureni with eggs, rice and greens

What doesshigurenimean?

Ireadthatshigureis an intermittent rain that comes and goes between autumn and winter in Japan,nimeans braise, andshigureniis not a dish but a generic name for an array of dishes cooked in sweetened soy sauce with a generous amount of ginger. Beefshigureniis the most well known of these dishes.

Is shigureni sauce the same as teriyaki sauce?

No, shigureni sauce is actually a sweeter (and a bit spicy) version of teriyaki sauce. But shigureni is, by definition, not a sauce but a class of dishes.

What’s the best cut for beef shigureni?

Beef shigureni is a stew so I chose a stewing cut. Brisket, shank and short ribs are my favorite cuts for beef stew. But since cooking shigureni requires thinly sliced beef, it had to be brisket. Shank and short ribs, both of which come with bones, would have been difficult to slice.

Browning thin slices of beef

Start by spreading the thinly sliced brisket in a little sesame seed oil. Leave to allow the undersides to sear a bit then stir and cook until the edges of the beef slices are starting to brown.

Cooking beef in soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar and ginger

Pour in soy sauce, sake and mirin, sprinkle in sugar, and add ginger and water. Start with the least amount of water. One cup is ideal. If the liquid dries out before the beef is tender, add more water but no more than a quarter cup each time.

beef shigureni in wok

When the beef is tender and the cooking liquid has reduced to a thick sauce, your shigureni is ready to be served.

Beef shigureni

Connie Veneracion
The one-hour cooking time is relative. How long you should cook the beef depends on the cut and the thickness of the slices. A more tender cut will require a much shorter cooking time. The downside is that the meat won’t have sufficient time to soak up the seasonings. The meat will probably be tender long before the sauce has thickened to a paste. And that is why I chose brisket. The fat added so much flavor too.
Beef shigureni over rice with shredded lettuce and egg on the side
Print Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 5 mins
Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 3 people

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams beef brisket - or other stewing beef, cut into ¼ inch slices across the grain
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
  • ¼ cup Japanese soy sauce
  • ¼ cup mirin
  • ¼ cup sake
  • 3 thick slices ginger
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • cooked rice - to serve

Instructions
 

  • Heat the sesame seed oil in a wok or frying pan.
  • Spread the beef slices on the hot oil. Leave for a minute before stirring. Cook the meat until the edges start to brown.
  • Pour in the soy sauce, sake and mirin. Stir in the sugar.
  • Add the ginger slices then pour in a cup of water.
  • Bring the liquid to the boil. Turn the the heat to low. Cover the wok or frying pan and cook the beef until tender and the cooking liquid has turned into a thick paste.
  • Serve the beef shigureni over rice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
Print Pin Recipe
Keyword Beef, Stew

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