
Slow Cooker Beef and Daikon Stew
A comforting Japanese homestyle stew with tender beef chunks and melt-in-your-mouth daikon radish, braised in a savory dashi-based sauce.
Ingredients
- •1.5 lbs Beef chuck roast
- •1.5 lbs Daikon radish
- •1 tbsp Vegetable oil
- •1 inch piece Fresh ginger
- •3 cups Dashi stock
- •1 cup Soy sauce
- •1 cup Mirin
- •1 cup Sake (cooking sake)
- •1 tbsp Granulated sugar
- •2 stalks Green onions
- •Optional Shichimi Togarashi
Instructions
- 1
Cut the beef chuck roast into 1.5-inch cubes. Pat them dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- 2
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, brown the beef cubes on all sides until nicely seared. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker insert.
- 3
Peel the fresh ginger and thinly slice or grate it. Add the ginger slices/grates to the slow cooker with the beef.
- 4
Prepare the daikon radish: Peel the daikon and cut it into 1-inch thick rounds or half-moons. For better flavor absorption and tenderness, score a shallow crosshatch pattern on one side of each daikon piece (optional but recommended).
- 5
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and granulated sugar until well combined. Pour this braising liquid over the beef and ginger in the slow cooker.
- 6
Add the prepared daikon pieces to the slow cooker, ensuring they are mostly submerged in the liquid.
- 7
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the daikon is melt-in-your-mouth soft.
- 8
Before serving, taste the stew and adjust seasoning if necessary. You may add a splash more soy sauce for saltiness or a pinch more sugar for sweetness, according to your preference.
- 9
Thinly slice the green onions for garnish. Serve the hot stew in bowls, garnished with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of Shichimi Togarashi, if desired. This stew pairs perfectly with freshly steamed white rice.
Chef's Tips
- 💡**Don't Skip Browning the Beef**: This crucial step develops deep, rich flavors through the Maillard reaction that cannot be achieved by simply adding raw meat to the slow cooker. Brown in batches to ensure a good sear.
- 💡**Daikon Prep for Flavor**: Scoring the daikon pieces not only helps them cook more evenly but also allows them to absorb the savory dashi broth more effectively, enhancing their flavor.
- 💡**Quality Dashi Matters**: The dashi forms the backbone of this stew's flavor. Using good quality dashi (either homemade from kombu and katsuobushi or a reputable instant dashi powder) will significantly impact the final taste.
- 💡**Adjust Sweetness to Taste**: Japanese stews often have a delicate balance of savory and sweet. Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar based on your personal preference, or omit it entirely for a purely savory profile.
- 💡**Serving Suggestion**: Serve this comforting stew with a generous portion of freshly steamed short-grain white rice to soak up all the delicious broth.
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