“It is said that it takes 20 years to acquire enough experience to make truly perfect rice,” wrote Shizuo Tsuji in “Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art” (Kodansha International; $45).
Head of the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, Japan’s top school for cooking professionals, Tsuji wrote the book to introduce Japanese cuisine to the West. That was in 1980, before sushi was as common as tacos in the United States. A timeless classic, it was republished in 2006 without revision.
The Japanese reverence for rice is a far cry from the way the average westerner deals with it. Most of us grab a bag off the supermarket shelf, follow directions and hope for the best. We don’t need to know whether it is new or old rice, whether it grew in a flooded paddy or a dry field, whether the climate was dry or hot and humid, what the growing season was like, and where the field was located, all matters of supreme importance to a Japanese connoisseur.
When the rice is done, we dish it out without thinking rather than ladling out two precise paddlefuls for each serving, as do the Japanese. And we may eat rice only rarely, whereas to a Japanese, a meal is not complete without it.
Despite rituals and refinements, Japanese cuisine is easily accessible, according to Tsuji. There are just two basic seasonings, soy sauce and the fish broth called dashi, and two main requirements, pristine freshness and beauty of presentation. Artful arrangements of a tidbit or two grew out of scarcity rather than pretentiousness.
Tolerant and kindly, Tsuji helps westerners take baby steps into what was once an unfamiliar cuisine. “Apart from the intricate knifework of the experts, Japanese recipes are not hard to make,” he wrote, observing that French cuisine is more difficult.
Some recipes may require a trip to a Japanese market, but several require only a few common ingredients. One is a simple beef and rice bowl, based on the dish made popular by Japanese fast food chains. Not too humble for Tusji, it exemplifies the way the Japanese eat—just two ounces of beef to a serving as compared to oversized American portions.
BEEF BOWL
Gyudon
From “Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art,” by Shizuo Tsuji
6 to 8 cups hot cooked rice (2 to 2 ½ cups raw rice)
½ pound beef, sliced paper thin
2 long onions (naganegi) or 1 medium round onion
1 cup water
1/3 cup dark soy sauce
1/3 cup mirin
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger juice
Thirty minutes to 1 hour before it is to be cooked, cover the rice with cold tap water and stir quickly with your hands for about 30 seconds, until the water becomes milky. Pour off the water and wash again with fresh tap water. Repeat this procedure until the water is almost clear, then let the rice drain in a colander until ready to cook.
Place the rice in a heavy deep pot with a tight lid. Add about twice as much water as rice. Cover and cook over medium high heat until the water just boils. Raise the heat to high and let the water come to a vigorous boil. A white starchy liquid will bubble from under the pot lid. When this bubbling ceases, reduce the heat to low and cook until all the liquid is absorbed. Do not lift the cover off the pot during cooking.
Turn off the heat and let the rice stand, covered, 15 to 20 minutes before fluffing with a wooden paddle or spoon, using a sideways cutting motion. Place a kitchen towel under the lid to catch moisture and let stand until ready to serve.
Cut the beef slices in 2-inch lengths. Cut the long onions diagonally in 1-inch lengths or slice round onions. Combine the water, soy sauce and mirin to make the sauce.
In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil over high heat. Stir-fry the onions for a few minutes, until soft. Add the beef slices and stir-fry for another minute or so until the meat is no longer red. Add the sauce mixture and continue stir-frying for another minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the ginger juice.
To serve, place 1½ to 2 cups rice in individual Japanese bowls with lids or large deep soup bowls. Cover the rice with the beef and onions. Moisten with a few tablespoons of the sauce. Cover and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Editor’s notes: The instructions for cooking rice are abbreviated from Tsuji’s more thorough explanation. Tsuji suggested having a butcher slice the beef, or it can be partially frozen, then cut into thin slices.
Tsuji squeezed ginger juice directly from finely grated root. Another method is to grind chopped ginger with a small amount of water in a mini food processor.
Mirin is Japanese sweet cooking wine. Tsuji suggested substituting 1 teaspoon sugar for each tablespoon of mirin.
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