This fried rice has a definitive taste of garlic and beef.
The restaurant where I first tasted this dish had used beef fat to fry the rice. It made the dish more “beefy” tasting but it also made the dish greasy – I can’t bring myself to use beef fat for frying. My recipe taste sufficiently beefy without the beef fat as I have found that using a good cut of well-marbled steak provides just the right amount of flavour without the grease.
Japanese Garlic Beef Fried Rice
| Prep: | ~15 minutes |
| Cook: | ~15 minutes |
| Inactive: | ~20 minutes |
| Level: | Easy enough |
| Serves: | 3 hungry people |
| Oven Temperature: | – |
| Can recipe be doubled? | Yes |
| Make ahead? | Beef cubes can be cooked a day ahead. |
Ingredients1 cup = 250ml =8.45 US fl oz ~4 cups cooked Japanese (short-grain) rice. Click here for recipe. Seasoning for beef Optional |
Method
Prep beef
1. Slice beef into ~1″ (2.5cm) cubes.
2. For best flavour, season with salt and pepper at least 20 minutes before you are ready to cook.
Prep rest of ingredients
1. Slice garlic lengthwise into reasonably thin slices. Don’t need them super thin.
2. Finely dice spring onions and enoki mushrooms.
3. Fluff up the cooked rice – use a spatula dipped in water to minimise sticking.
Fry garlic
1. Over high heat, heat up ~1 Tablespoon oil in nonstick frying pan. Using a nonstick frying pan means you use less oil and the rice grains will not stick to the pot.
2. Add garlic slices, separating the slices so that you can turn each one over before it burns. Watch them as the burn faster than you think. This is when I am glad I bought a pair of precision tongs.
3. As soon as they are golden on both sides, remove from pan.
4. Remove any bits of garlic from pan.
Fry beef
1. In the same pan, over high heat, brown the beef.
2. Don’t over cook them.
3. Transfer onto plate and cover with aluminium foil.
Fry
1. In the same pan over high heat, add the ~1 Tablespoon butter and rice.
2. Break up any rice lumps and mix in ~1 Tablespoon Kikkoman soy sauce and ~1/4 teaspoon salt.
3. Create a well, into the well, add the diced mushrooms. Cover mushrooms with rice and then mix well.
4. Create a well, add the beef and whatever liquid that has pooled. Let most of the liquid evaporate and then mix everything up.
5. Add spring onions and garlic chips.
6. Turn off burner and stir to mix.
7. Taste to season. I like a lot of ground black pepper in mine.
To serve
1. Distribute rice into bowls and create a well for egg to sit.
2. Crack the soft boiled egg into a dish and then transfer into well. Why do I crack egg into dish first? Quality check – to ensure eggs are cooked perfectly, neither undercooked or overcooked.
3. Garnish with sliced spring onions.
Tips
Substitute soft boiled egg(s) with fried or poached egg(s) or just omit altogether.
WHAT’S COMING UP NEXT?
kitchenbaroness 