Japanese Ground Meat & Green Bean Bowl
Prep Time: 15 Mins
Cook Time: 15 Mins
Total Time: 30 Mins
Serves: 2-4
This is one of the easiest complete meals that highlights the beauty of Japanese food: simple fresh ingredients that are made to shine by layering umami flavors.
Ingredients
300g green beans, ends trimmed
2 tablespoons neutral oil (canola, avocado, etc.), divided
500g ground chicken or pork
4-5 tablespoons mirin
4-5 tablespoons soy sauce
8-10 dried shiitake, rinsed and soaked in 2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes
2 eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
3 scallions, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (about 3/4 cup uncooked)
Directions
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add enough salt to make it as salty as the ocean and drop the beans in, if using French beans they will be done as early as 2 minutes, if using a thicker variety it can take up to 5 minutes. Test along the way to ensure they still have a nice bite and are not overcooked. Drain and once they are cool enough to handle, chop them into 2cm pieces.
In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the ground chicken (or pork) and stir-fry, breaking it up into little clumps to cook evenly. Once the meat is partially cooked, about 3-4 minutes, with most of the meat turning from pink to gray, add 3 tablespoons each of mirin and soy sauce. Turn the heat down to medium-low and continue cooking until cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated, an additional 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, taste and add more soy sauce and mirin to taste.
Drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Remove the stems of the shitake and cut them into 1cm thick pieces. In a small saucepan, add 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, taking care to not add any gritty bits. Drop in the shiitake and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook for 4-5 minutes. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of mirin and soy sauce and simmer until the liquid has evaporated about 4-5 minutes more.
In a small frying pan, heat up 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the egg and spread it around, use the spatula to move the edges towards the center, and then swirl the pan so that any free-running yoke moves over the edges to get cooked. Once there is no more wet runny egg, use the spatula to roll the egg into a cylinder. Transfer to a cutting board and slice as thinly as possible (approximately 5mm slices) to create egg threads.
Assemble the bowls, start by putting some rice over the base and then spooning the toppings, each with its own section: ground chicken, shiitake, green beans, and egg threads. Top with scallions and serve.
