How to Make Nikujaga (Beef and Potato Stew) | America's Test Kitchen (S24 E8)

[@SE013]

Wow, as a Japanese, I clicked on this video with apprehension. Even though I love ATK, I have seen too many videos that completely butcher Japanese dishes. To my surprised, I came out being thoroughly impressed by how much Dan had researched about Japanese ingredients and techniques. Not letting Kombu boil is an essential technique that many people from other countries miss (Glutamates are released at around 60c, but after 100c, other undesirable substances and textures emerge from kombu). I love how he even incorporated and referenced rangiri 乱切り and 面取り mentori. Nikujaga has many regional variations (overall, people generally use beef, but pork is often used as well, in which case we also often find green peas), so I hope people take this base recipe and experiment and find their own variation!

[@RK4000]

i read this with a Japanese accent in my head.

[@SE013]

@@RK4000 Lol sorry to disappoint but I'm bilingual. I can mimic a Japanese accent though.

[@RK4000]

@@SE013 😂

[@Living_in_Color]

As a Japanese, I’d say many Japanese people are now using a dashi powder or liquid concentrate stock to season as they are way more convenient than making a stock. Pork is also popular alternative. (Niku means meat and jaga means potato.) We often eat this with rice, miso soup, and side veggies.

[@KenS1267]

I taught English in Osaka almost 30 years ago and even then dashi powder was very common. I bought benito flakes once just to make it the 'right' way but honestly the good dashi powder was indistinguishable from what I made.

[@Living_in_Color]

@@KenS1267 @ agree. this dish is homecook/everyday meal so it’s supposed to be easy and inexpensive to make. While I’m living in the US, I still use dashi liquid as it’s convenient and cheaper than making dash from scratch. Kombu or bonito aren’t that affordable like I find them in Japan too.

[@annalockwood3021]

When I make this at my house I'll be using instant dashi because I long ago made peace with the idea that my pantry is better off when I keep it simple. Some shortcuts just make better sense than others. A decent quality mirin? Not a problem.

[@NAVSPECWARCOM]

0:02 This recipe is just another example why America's Test Kitchen NEEDS to review the best consumer Deli Slicers!!!

[@thomaskendall452]

Yeah. How about a review of the inexpensive (less than $90) home slicers?

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Had this dish at a little mom and pop stall in Goldengai, it was expensive but it was soooo good. Nice to see how to make it myself!

[@slipper171]

You can use parchment paper as a drop-lid.

[@rohanlg790]

I think it’s called a cartouche

[@isaacb725]

Hey hey I love making this, I'm an American. But I love Japanese food and this dish is simple and delicious. I've cooked it the past 10 years at home as my staple diet.

[@coldstone01]

hmm, I've gone through the recipe and the key equipment but neither the Drop Lid nor the Soup skimmer ladle-style tool was on the list of linked items, the strainer for the seaweed, dried bonito stock, and the Dutch oven are both there as well as a larger sieve that sits over a bowl. but the missing pieces to make sure the broth is clear and the way to keep everything submerged isn't. If you could please find a good place to get those it would help as they can also be used in other dishes both Japanese and American cuisine dishes. Thanks again, I am a subscriber to the newsletter the Country Kitchen Newsletter, and the App. so I thought I'd leave this on KZbin that way I can get a faster response. Happy New Year to you guys.

[@charlieharris3240]

The ATK Reviews team has likely not tested such equipment so without their recommendations, there would be no links.

[@coldstone01]

@@charlieharris3240 Well, I normally don't go too far into buying kitchen tools that may have just a single use. But I considered purchasing these two because I have a great repertoire of recipes, including Japanese ones, so I decided to use ATK to lead me to a well-used item but I'll have to reach out further to Pearl River Market or Musubi Kiln to find kitchen tools.

[@ulyssesmelendres504]

Cool. Looks easy. Thanks!

[@MrDanbecker]

Thanks .. Happy New Year .. 🙂🍾🥂

[@guchieskitchen]

Beautiful recipe❤❤

[@shalinshah5099]

You know Dan went to Japan for vacation recently

[@theresajohnson9510]

I am looking forward to trying this recipe 😊

[@Dreadnought242]

I have no objection to ATK making luxe recipes, but something advertised as "beef and potato stew" that requires $40 or $50 of pantry ingredients - $20 for the kombu and $25 for the dashi (priced on Amazon), not to mention the very hard to find noodles deserves a mention in advance. Plus the super-expensive cut of rib-eye that honestly looked like A4 wagyu - this is a budget buster. Yes, educate us about interesting Japanese cookery, but maybe a heads up that this is not a weeknight meal (even though it honestly looks like peasant food).

[@60Airflyte]

Looking forward to making this. Reminds me of sukiyaki.

[@rachellemazar7374]

I checked the recipe on your website, I couldn’t find links for the great strainer and drop lid you used. Can you tell me how to get them.

[@LinusCello75]

Depending on the region of Japan, Nikujaga can be beef (like Kyoto) or pork (like Tokyo). I wished pork could have been mentioned as a more economical option (though not kosher).

[@CantankerousDave]

Like the regional difference in okonomiyaki. I prefer Hiroshima style.

[@Neoprototype]

What is "kosher" I think you meant Halal.

[@reneowens2768]

Can I substitute rice wine vinegar for the Mirin?

[@jkjoshua214]

You can use sugar (or honey) and sake (1:3) as a substitute. I’m a Japanese living abroad and use those as mirin can be quite expensive and hard to get.

[@Living_in_Color]

Rice wine vinegar is a bit different from mirin (sugar and japanese wine/sake) so it’s not sour. As a Japanese in the US, I use Sake and sugar/honey to substitute mirin. Mirin isn’t that expensive so it might be convenient to buy and use it.

[@chip7486]

As a person who accidentally grabbed the wrong bottle last week...NO! 😅

[@k9healthy]

Can I use sweet potatoes instead?

[@intothewrx]

Yup

[@MistressOnyaCox]

❤❤ tall, cute and smart 😻🤓 DAN gets me going 💕 every time he cooks 🤤🤤🤤

[@RogerThat902]

simmer down ;)

[@mddell58]

You realize he plays for the other team, right?

[@EastSider48215]

@@mddell58: Does it matter?

[@RH-wj4rz]

@@EastSider48215. Thank you. That was the perfect response.

[@gingerp1601]

@mddell58 🤨 Are you certain, because Dan has said otherwise.

[@DoughboyGod]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@ask230]

I have not seen nikujaga with noodles. Typically eaten with rice.

[@SE013]

Shirataki is a must in most recipes of nikujaga. It's not really eating "with" noodles, but rather they are just one of the ingredients. We would still eat nikujaga with rice.

[@ask230]

@SE013 All of the nikujaga I've ever been served in homes and occasionally restaurants has been without noodles. But maybe it's more common than I realize.

[@Tyler-zs9il]

Go Dan!

[@CantankerousDave]

I’ve never eaten this with noodles, konnyaku or otherwise. Maybe it’s a Kanto thing, and I was in Kansai, sorta like natto not being a thing in the latter.

[@jerradcampbell74]

This looks exactly like the Gourmet Ramen I make for my 14 year old son😂

[@colleenmcdonald2470]

I priced 3/4 rib eye, 3/4 kombucha and the katsuobushi and we are looking at close to $40. Add in the vegetables and noodles and you have $50 the ingredients you mentioned I did not include. With today’s high prices for groceries I am not making this dish for a family of 4. If 2 people not on a budget want to make this dish, good for them but ATK has to do better with looking at prices perhaps rating them like the do with restaurant using $-$$$$

[@jc4jax]

the kombu and katsubushi you are going to get multiple serving usage out of them, just like buying a jar of spice, it's not all gone with one dinner

[@EverywhereAndyMorrison]

Well said Colleen! Unfortunately a problem all over food youtube 😢! Since the chefs just tell their production teams the list of ingredients I'm sure they don't even know the prices. A few people in the comments have suggested pork and instant dashi. This will bring the prices down without compromising on flavour! Hope this works and you can give it a go! A lot of Japanese recipes can be healthy, quick and budget friendly for a family! My favourite channel for Japanese recipes is called Cooking with Dog. Thoroughly recommend!

[@smplchmp]

It's called America's Test Kitchen not America's Budget Kitchen. If it's too expensive for you just don't make it...

[@maestrojon]

Please don't use kombucha

[@omeletshopper]

hey colleen, 1) did anyone force you to watch this video and 2) would you rather they cook hormel beans in every episode

[@charlieharris3240]

Why yes, this recipe segment did end rather abruptly. The final 60 seconds: Dan: Those potatoes are so good. Bridget: Mmm D: They're really creamy and they - again they pick up that soy, mirin, that nice savory blend. B: Well, what I love especially, and you mentioned it, is that all the ingredients are still distinct, but they still belong together. D: Nice and blended. B: Yeah. Thanks Dan! D: You're welcome! B: Really appreciate it. Now if you'd love to make this lovely elegant stew, it starts with making a dashi using kombu and katsuobushi. Thinly slice par-frozen rib-eye steak, and after simmering the stew allow the flavors to meld for at least 30 minutes. B: So from America's Test Kitchen, a beautiful Japanese stew - nikujaga. You can get this recipe and all the recipes for this season, along with all the recipes from this season, along with product reviews and select episodes. And those are all on our website. B: You know what I'm loving is the challenge of the noodles. D: But the reward is there too. B: Oh, the reward is all there.

[@CantankerousDave]

3:13 - the “j” is pronounced European style like a “y” - it sounds pretty much the same as cognac.

[@greggsteinke4990]

Really??? No meat slicer in the "TEST" kitchen.

[@sbrian123]

I have one. For that amount of meat not worth the hassle.

[@julianbiragnet]

Right but then if they did use a meat slicer, your comment would be something along the lines of: " a meat slicer because everyone has of those at home right ?🙄"

[@sbrian123]

@@julianbiragnet nope

[@Col123-sj3cv]

The dish is very expensive because I looked up the prices, and I see $40 to $50 without adding in the cheaper ingredients. I have all the inexpensive items, but 3/4 rib eye, ¾ ounce (two 4-inch pieces) kombu ¼ ounce (8 grams) katsuobushi is very expensive. Then add everything else, like the vegetables, and make a high-priced meal for 4. America's test kitchen should look at the prices of the ingredients because, with today's inflation, I am not making expensive dishes. Do it for two people who love to cook, have no children, and can spend this amount of money on leftovers. But I am not making it for a family.

[@ThreeDee912]

Mirin and soy sauce are pretty common when cooking other Asian dishes, but you might be able to sub the broth ingredients for instant dashi powder, should make it a lot cheaper that way although not as “homemade” I guess. A lot of it is probably because these ingredients are imported from Japan.

[@Living_in_Color]

As a Japanese in the US, I’d say most people don’t even use kombu or bonito flakes to make dashi as we often use instant dashi (cheap and convenient). Also if I go to Asian grocery, I find way cheaper sliced meats or I’ve never used ribeyes to make this dish. This dish is supposed to be “everyday meal/home cooking” but If you make “authentic” in the US, it turns out costly…

[@Col123-sj3cv]

@@Living_in_Color I wrote back look up

[@Col123-sj3cv]

how much does the ingredients cost to make this dish?

[@ImFataI]

depends on your pantry. If you don't already own Japanese pantry staples like soy sauce, mirin, sake, hondashi (instant dashi powder), etc., it's going to have a big upfront cost, but all these things last essentially forever and are used in countless recipes. Otherwise, this dish is fairly cheap, mostly depends on how much you spend on your beef.

[@lorrie2878]

Gas range... I dream. No natural gas at my house. 😢

[@Col123-sj3cv]

Thank you, In Living Color, for the feedback. Forgive me for the reply. I thought you were from ATK so I wanted to scold you on having videos of all these expensive products with food prices going up every week. Yes, you are correct that you can find ways to cut corners financially, but I have been an ATK customer for almost 20 years, and I find that all the recipes are carefully tested, so I follow them as they say. ATK was always superior; it tasted much better whenever I didn't follow each ingredient or use another recipe. But now, these cooking sites have to realize that food prices are an issue. Thank you so much for replying; I appreciate it.

[@strll3048]

Interesting concepts... it must taste amazing, but it seems to contain a few unnecessary steps.

[@13soap13]

This is like a NY Times recipe . . . I'm happy if I can find reduced soy sauce at my grocery store . . . LOL. Next recipe .. ..

[@EastSider48215]

You can substitute ingredients you don’t have with ones you do. It won’t be identical to this recipe, but it will be very close and delicious.

[@hkbabel]

And agree with other commenters instant dashi powder or packets totally fine if investing in bonito flakes not fiscally feasible or you just don't want to :-)

[@mcmc1103]

I was once told Japanese food is not a meal.

[@i0wnUfranklin]

Who tf cooling down stew just to heat it back up.

[@thaisstone5192]

Think of it as a kind of a cheat on cooling it completely then heating it up the next day.

[@corrinejacobson9232]

I love what you are doing,,,,BUT this recipe ts just too intense!!

[@juleswins3]

Seemed like a terrible waste of.a really nice rib eye.

[@julieannestark7078]

What a ridiculous recipe. Highly specialized ingredients and equipment used to be a no-no for ATK. But I guess since you've sunk down to the Food Network level in the last several years it's not surprising.

[@Neoprototype]

Not everyone lives in irrelevant flyovers and we have access to these common ingredients in our Asian/Hispanic markets.

[@maestrojon]

It's not ridiculous to me.

[@thaisstone5192]

Not a fan of Japanese food, sorry. But I did watch and enjoy the tutorial.

[@60Airflyte]

How can you not be a fan of ALL Japanese food? It’s not all the same ingredients. I never understood it when someone doesn’t like ALL the food of a country without ever having tried it all.

[@thaisstone5192]

@@60Airflyte As an avid cook book collector, I have NEVER wasted money on a book dedicated to a cuisine I don't like. And why should I bankrupt myself trying to find a Japanese dish I find palatable???

[@60Airflyte]

@ just doesn’t make sense that someone can think they don’t like an entire cuisine.

[@thaisstone5192]

@@60Airflyte Your interpretation of reality is yours and yours alone.

[@maestrojon]

Almost every grocery store sells Golden Curry. Maybe you should give that a shot. Follow the directions on the package and serve with rice (preferably something like Botan Calrose Rice). I like to make mine with ground chicken as the protein seasoned with some minced garlic and ginger. I also use unsalted stock instead of water for extra flavor. This dish is usually served with pickled vegetables to mix in (Fukujinzuke), but it's not mandatory. While not traditional Japanese (same as ramen, chahan fried rice, katsu, and hamburg steak (known to us as Salisbury steak)), Japanese style curry has become its own thing, and is a staple. Popular with both home cooks and many quick-serve restaurants.