Braised Lotus Roots and Beef (Shigureni) is the ultimate sweet-and-savoury topping to enjoy with cooked rice. The refreshing ginger flavour makes it even more appetising.
It is very similar to my other Shigureni recipe, Braised Beef and Burdock with Genger. Instead of shaved burdock, I used thinly sliced lotus roots. The flavouring ingredients are the same, but the proportion of each ingredient is slightly different.
Like Beef and Burdock Shigureni, the main ingredients are cooked for about 20 minutes with a generous amount of ginger.
Both fresh burdock and lotus roots are in season here in Australia. The peak season runs from autumn to winter. Although fresh burdock is not easy to find (it is available only at some Japanese grocery stores), fresh lotus root is sold at many Asian grocery stores and some Australian vegetable shops.
In Japan, people use thin off-cuts of beef called ‘gyūkoma’ (牛コマ), which is short for ‘gyū komagire niku’ (牛こま切れ肉), to make shigureni. The off-cuts can come from various parts of the cow such as the round, short ribs, belly, chuck, etc.
Since the off-cuts pieces are irregular in size and shape and consists of a mixture of different cuts, gyūkoma is flavourful and budget friendly.
Gyukoma (beef off-cuts) sold at supermarkets in Japan.
The same type of off-cuts also exist for pork. They are called ‘butakoma’ (豚こま), short for ‘buta komagire niku’ (豚こま切れ肉).
Since authentic Japanese dishes rarely use large chunk of meat or thick steaks, these off-cuts are widely used in many Japanese household.
I wish Australia sold these inexpensive small pieces of meat!
What’s in my Braised Lotus Roots and Beef (Shigureni)
- Thinly sliced beef, cut into bite-size pieces
- Lotus roots, very thinly sliced and quartered (see the photo below)
- Finely julienned ginger (see the photo below)
- Oil.
You can make thinly sliced beef yourself from the cuts mentioned earlier. Alternatively, you can buy frozen sliced beef from Asian grocery stores.
Simmering Sauce
- Water
- Cooking sake
- Soy sauce
- Mirin
- Sugar.
I don’t use dashi stock because the beef provides plenty of umami.
How to Make Braised Lotus Roots and Beef (Shigureni)
The process of making shigureni is quite simple: sauté the vegetables, cook them in the sauce, add the beef, and continue cooking until most of the sauce has evaporated.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Sauté the lotus root and ginger for about 1½ minutes.
- Add all the Simmering Sauce ingredients to the pan and mix well.
- Add the beef, untangling and spreading the slices evenly in the pan.
- Cook until the sauce has almost evaporated.
Braised Lotus Roots and Beef (Shigureni) is perfect for a bento box, as it keeps well for about 4-5 days. You can pack it beside cooked rice or serve it over the rice (photo below), just like Gyū-don.
Yumiko
Braised Lotus Roots and Beef (Shigureni) is the ultimate sweet-and-savoury topping to enjoy with cooked rice. The refreshing ginger flavour makes it even more appetising. It is very similar to my other Shigureni recipe, Braised Beef and Burdock with Ginger. Instead of shaved burdock, I used thinly sliced lotus roots.
Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.
- 250g / 0.6lb beef (thinly sliced into bite-size pieces, note 1)
- 250g / 0.6lb lotus roots (note 2)
- 30g / 1.1oz ginger (finely julienned)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 6 tbsp water
- 6 tbsp cooking sake
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 2½ tbsp sugar
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Cut the lotus roots crosswise into 2mm-thick / 3⁄32"-thick round slices. Cut each slice into quarter-circle wedges (note 3).
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Set aside a small amount of the julienned ginger for garnish.
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Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
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Sauté the lotus root and ginger for about 1½ minutes, ensuring that the lotus root slices are separated and slightly cooked.
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Add all the Simmering Sauce ingredients to the pan and mix well.
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When the sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and add the beef, untangling and spreading the slices evenly in the pan.
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Bring the heat up to medium and cook for about 15-20 minutes (note 4), until the sauce has almost evaporated.
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Transfer the Shigureni to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved julienned ginger on top.
1. In Japan, people use thin off-cuts of beef see the sample photo in the post). The off-cuts can come from various cuts of beef such as round, short ribs, belly, chuck, etc. Since the pieces are irregular in size and shape and often come from a mix of different cuts, thin off-cuts of meat are flavourful and budget friendly.
You can thinly slice beef yourself or buy frozen sliced beef from Asian grocery stores.
2. Lotus root is in season during autumn and winter. It is often sold at Asian grocery stores. Fresh lotus root is the best, but you can use frozen thinly sliced lotus root if fresh lotus root is unavailable.
3. It is quicker to quarter the whole root lengthwise and then slice it thinly. However, this method tends to break some of the flesh inside the holes, making the distinctive hole pattern look untidy. That’s why I sliced the lotus root first.
4. The time required to reduce the sauce will depend on the strength of the heat level and the size of the frying pan.
5. Shigureni keeps well in the fridge for about 4-5 days. It is also perfect for packing into a bento box.
6. Nutrition per serving.
serving: 208g calories: 270kcal fat: 8.5g (13%) saturated fat: 1.8g (9%) trans fat: 0g polyunsaturated fat: 2.6g monounsaturated fat: 3.7g cholesterol: 46mg (15%) sodium: 201mg (8%) carbohydrates: 26g (8%) dietary fibre: 3g (12%) sugar: 12.6g protein: 15.0g vitamin a: 0.1mcg (0%) calcium: 47mg (5%) iron: 2.3mg (13%) potassium: 652mg (18%)
Meal Ideas
A typical Japanese meal consists of a main dish, a couple of side dishes, a soup and rice. I try to come up with a combination of dishes with a variety of flavours, colours, textures and make-ahead dishes.
When I posted Braised Beef and Burdock with Genger (Shigureni), I served the shigureni as a side dish in the Meal Idea section. But today, I am serving it as the main dish.
Shigureni has quite a strong flavour, and each serving is relatively small. Since each serving contains only a little over 60g of beef, I decided to add a side dish with some protein to make the meal more balanced.
I chose a lightly dressed Persimmon and Daikon Salad, as persimmons are also in season.
- Main: Braised Lotus Roots and Beef (Shigureni) – today’s recipe, make ahead.
- Side dish 1: Octopus and Cucumber Sunomono (Vinegar Dressing) – or Cucumber and Seaweed Sunomono (Vinegar Dressing) if you don’t want to supplement protein.
- Side dish 2: Persimmon Daikon Salad – or other fresh salad.
- Soup: Miso Soup of your choice from Miso Soup Ingredient Combinations or your favourite ingredients.
- Rice: Cooked Rice.
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