Beef and Sweet Potato Stew

Mike wrote on 10 Oct 2007 14:15:25 GMT:

MVP> A quick Internet search to make sure stew was something
MVP> appropriate to do with tri-tip turned up this:

MVP> http://www.recipezaar.com/194091

MVP> Well, there were a couple of things I didn't like about
MVP> the recipe, starting with Splenda. (Huh? What's up with
MVP> that?) But sweet potatoes sounds interesting.

I wonder if sweet potatoes would work in the Japanese
home-cooking meat and potato stew: Niku Jaga? The original with
real potatoes is pretty good, no Splenda but some sugar. It
might not seem very Japanese but it does taste a bit different
from Western stews.

http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-archive/40/213117.shtml

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

James Silverton said:

Mike wrote on 10 Oct 2007 14:15:25 GMT:

MVP> A quick Internet search to make sure stew was something
MVP> appropriate to do with tri-tip turned up this:

MVP> http://www.recipezaar.com/194091

MVP> Well, there were a couple of things I didn't like about
MVP> the recipe, starting with Splenda. (Huh? What's up with
MVP> that?) But sweet potatoes sounds interesting.

I wonder if sweet potatoes would work in the Japanese
home-cooking meat and potato stew: Niku Jaga? The original with
real potatoes is pretty good, no Splenda but some sugar. It
might not seem very Japanese but it does taste a bit different
from Western stews.

http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-archive/40/213117.shtml

I've done a similar type of stew, IIRC it was Korean in origin. Very
tasty...and yeah, no Splenda (sheesh!).

--
Best
Greg

In article <mA5Pi.15407$Cd7.13541@trnddc03>,

James Silverton said:

I wonder if sweet potatoes would work in the Japanese
home-cooking meat and potato stew: Niku Jaga? The original with
real potatoes is pretty good, no Splenda but some sugar. It
might not seem very Japanese but it does taste a bit different
from Western stews.

I'm just now eating a bowl of leftovers of this stew.

Yum!

Between the wine and the sweet potatoes, it's plenty
sweet enough, to my taste. I sure don't think it
needs any sugar. (Much less splenda. :P )

--
Mike Van Pelt | Wikipedia. The roulette wheel of knowledge.
mvp at calweb.com | --Blair P. Houghton
KE6BVH

On 13 Oct 2007 10:11:23 GMT, [email hidden] (Mike Van Pelt)

Quoted message said:

I'm just now eating a bowl of leftovers of this stew.

Yum!

Between the wine and the sweet potatoes, it's plenty
sweet enough, to my taste. I sure don't think it
needs any sugar. (Much less splenda. :P )

Did you make the Niku Jaga yourself or was it take out? If you made
it, do you have a recipe to post?

--
See return address to reply by email

sf said:

On 13 Oct 2007 10:11:23 GMT, [email hidden] (Mike Van Pelt)

Quoted message said:

I'm just now eating a bowl of leftovers of this stew.

Yum!

Between the wine and the sweet potatoes, it's plenty
sweet enough, to my taste. I sure don't think it
needs any sugar. (Much less splenda. :P )

Did you make the Niku Jaga yourself or was it take out? If you made
it, do you have a recipe to post?

Not the OP but Niku Jagu is a really common home cooked dish and I
pretty much wing it when making it.

You could use this as a reference:

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/potato/r/nikujaga.htm

The important part is the initial sautéing which adds a lot to the flavor.

"George" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

sf said:

On 13 Oct 2007 10:11:23 GMT, [email hidden] (Mike Van Pelt)

Quoted message said:

I'm just now eating a bowl of leftovers of this stew.

Yum!

Between the wine and the sweet potatoes, it's plenty
sweet enough, to my taste. I sure don't think it
needs any sugar. (Much less splenda. :P )

Did you make the Niku Jaga yourself or was it take out? If you made
it, do you have a recipe to post?

Not the OP but Niku Jagu is a really common home cooked dish and I pretty
much wing it when making it.

You could use this as a reference:

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/potato/r/nikujaga.htm

The important part is the initial sautéing which adds a lot to the flavor.

Sugar with sugar potatoes. is it a cake?

--
Kisses
Pandora

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 11:04:47 -0400, George <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

sf said:

On 13 Oct 2007 10:11:23 GMT, [email hidden] (Mike Van Pelt)

Quoted message said:

I'm just now eating a bowl of leftovers of this stew.

Yum!

Between the wine and the sweet potatoes, it's plenty
sweet enough, to my taste. I sure don't think it
needs any sugar. (Much less splenda. :P )

Did you make the Niku Jaga yourself or was it take out? If you made
it, do you have a recipe to post?

Not the OP but Niku Jagu is a really common home cooked dish and I
pretty much wing it when making it.

You could use this as a reference:

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/potato/r/nikujaga.htm

The important part is the initial sautéing which adds a lot to the flavor.

I saw that link, but it doesn't call for sweet potato so I wasn't
confident it was a near decent recipe. It doesn't even say what kind
of dashi to use.

--
See return address to reply by email

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 17:12:55 +0200, "Pandora" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"George" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

sf said:

On 13 Oct 2007 10:11:23 GMT, [email hidden] (Mike Van Pelt)
wrote:

> I'm just now eating a bowl of leftovers of this stew.
>
> Yum!
>
> Between the wine and the sweet potatoes, it's plenty
> sweet enough, to my taste. I sure don't think it
> needs any sugar. (Much less splenda. :P )

Did you make the Niku Jaga yourself or was it take out? If you made
it, do you have a recipe to post?

Not the OP but Niku Jagu is a really common home cooked dish and I pretty
much wing it when making it.

You could use this as a reference:

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/potato/r/nikujaga.htm

The important part is the initial sautéing which adds a lot to the flavor.

Sugar with sugar potatoes. is it a cake?

Sweet potatoes aren't *that* sweet. This is a soup that is called
"stew". Niku means beef and jagu... I dunno what it means (one pot,
maybe), but together they are called beef stew. The Japanese use
sweet potatoes in tempura, which is translated into carrots for us
USAians (if I remember in time, I'll ask for sweet potato instead of
carrot). So, I'm not surprised to see white potatoes instead of sweet
in the American recipes for niku jaga that I've looked up.

sf
who likes a little bit of sweet sherry added to regular old beef stew
for a bit of pizzaz

--
See return address to reply by email

sf said:

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 17:12:55 +0200, "Pandora" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"George" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

sf wrote:
> On 13 Oct 2007 10:11:23 GMT, [email hidden] (Mike Van Pelt)
> wrote:
>
>> I'm just now eating a bowl of leftovers of this stew.
>>
>> Yum!
>>
>> Between the wine and the sweet potatoes, it's plenty
>> sweet enough, to my taste. I sure don't think it
>> needs any sugar. (Much less splenda. :P )
> Did you make the Niku Jaga yourself or was it take out? If you made
> it, do you have a recipe to post?
>
Not the OP but Niku Jagu is a really common home cooked dish and I pretty
much wing it when making it.

You could use this as a reference:

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/potato/r/nikujaga.htm

The important part is the initial sautéing which adds a lot to the flavor.

Sugar with sugar potatoes. is it a cake?

Sweet potatoes aren't *that* sweet. This is a soup that is called
"stew". Niku means beef and jagu... I dunno what it means (one pot,
maybe), but together they are called beef stew.

jagu = potato, nimono = "one pot"

The Japanese use

Quoted message said:

sweet potatoes in tempura, which is translated into carrots for us
USAians (if I remember in time, I'll ask for sweet potato instead of
carrot). So, I'm not surprised to see white potatoes instead of sweet
in the American recipes for niku jaga that I've looked up.

sf
who likes a little bit of sweet sherry added to regular old beef stew
for a bit of pizzaz

Pandora said:

"George" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

sf said:

On 13 Oct 2007 10:11:23 GMT, [email hidden] (Mike Van Pelt)
wrote:

> I'm just now eating a bowl of leftovers of this stew.
>
> Yum!
>
> Between the wine and the sweet potatoes, it's plenty
> sweet enough, to my taste. I sure don't think it
> needs any sugar. (Much less splenda. :P )
Did you make the Niku Jaga yourself or was it take out? If you made
it, do you have a recipe to post?

Not the OP but Niku Jagu is a really common home cooked dish and I pretty
much wing it when making it.

You could use this as a reference:

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/potato/r/nikujaga.htm

The important part is the initial sautéing which adds a lot to the flavor.

Sugar with sugar potatoes. is it a cake?

The Japanese use white "Irish potatoes" for the dish. The photo looks
like a sweet potato because the soy sauce colors the dish.

Many Japanese versions of western dishes are sweetened. Potatoes are a
relatively new thing to Japan.

sf said:

Quoted message said:

You could use this as a reference:

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/potato/r/nikujaga.htm

The important part is the initial sautéing which adds a lot to the flavor.

I saw that link, but it doesn't call for sweet potato so I wasn't
confident it was a near decent recipe. It doesn't even say what kind
of dashi to use.

Niku Jagu is typically made with white potatoes. I would use hon dashi.

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:25:18 -0400, George <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

jagu = potato, nimono = "one pot"

Thanks! When I eat Japanese I just call dishes by their english
names. It took me years to even clue in that Niku was beef. I still
don't know what donburi means (even though I order it a lot), but I
know what it is. 🙂

--
See return address to reply by email

sf wrote on Sat, 13 Oct 2007 07:43:55 -0700:

??>> I'm just now eating a bowl of leftovers of this stew.
??>>
??>> Yum!
??>>
??>> Between the wine and the sweet potatoes, it's plenty
??>> sweet enough, to my taste. I sure don't think it
??>> needs any sugar. (Much less splenda. :P )

s> Did you make the Niku Jaga yourself or was it take out? If
s> you made it, do you have a recipe to post?

I didn't know you could even get Niku Jaga in a restaurant.
It's regarded as "home cooking". Here's the recipe I use
(originally from the San Francisco Examiner)

Serving Size : 4

5 medium potatoes

2 carrot

1 large onion

1/2lb beef (or pork or
chicken)…can be from 1/3lb to 12oz.

20 green beans (other green
veg. also used)

2 cups water

Squirt (or 1 tab) olive oil

8 tabs soy sauce (to taste)

2 tabs sugar (to taste, brown
sometimes suggested)

2 tabs mirin (sweet cooking rice
wine)

2 tabs sake (or sherry)

Optional but worth it!

2 tsp hon dashi (bonito soup
mix)

1 tab chopped ginger

Peel and cut potatoes into 4 to 5 pieces each. Soak in water for
10 minutes, then drain. Cut onion into 6 to 8 wedges. Cut
carrots into smaller pieces than the potatoes. Cube meat into
bite-size pieces. Heat oil in a deep pan and lightly brown
meat - don't cook it completely. Add onions, potatoes and
carrots; continue sautéing for 3 minutes. Add water and bring to
a boil; skim off any foam. Add soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake (or
white wine) and dashi and ginger and reduce heat to simmer. Cook
for 30 to 40 minutes uncovered or until potatoes are done. Cut
beans in half and add; cook 10 more minutes and sauce is almost
absorbed. It may be necessary to raise the temperature.

Note: The original amounts of beans, soy and sugar are 12, 5 and
3.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

George wrote on Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:29:28 -0400:

G> Pandora wrote:
??>> "George" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
??>> news:[email hidden]...
??>>>> Did you make the Niku Jaga yourself or was it take out?
??>>>> If you made it, do you have a recipe to post?
??>>>>
??>>> Not the OP but Niku Jagu is a really common home cooked
??>>> dish and I pretty much wing it when making it.
??>>>
??>>
??>> Sugar with sugar potatoes. is it a cake?
??>>
G> The Japanese use white "Irish potatoes" for the dish. The
G> photo looks like a sweet potato because the soy sauce colors
G> the dish.

To tell the truth I've never heard of *sweet* potatoes being
used in Niku Jaga and if I used them I *would* cut the sugar in
the recipe I posted.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

James Silverton said:

sf wrote on Sat, 13 Oct 2007 07:43:55 -0700:

s> Did you make the Niku Jaga yourself or was it take out? If
s> you made it, do you have a recipe to post?

I didn't know you could even get Niku Jaga in a restaurant.

That's why I asked.

Quoted message said:

It's regarded as "home cooking". Here's the recipe I use
(originally from the San Francisco Examiner)

Thanks. I'm still reeling at fish stock with beef and potatoes, but I
guess it's like putting in a little fish sauce (which isn't a bad
thing).

--
See return address to reply by email

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 15:39:38 -0400, George <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

sf said:

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:25:18 -0400, George <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

jagu = potato, nimono = "one pot"

Thanks! When I eat Japanese I just call dishes by their english
names. It took me years to even clue in that Niku was beef. I still
don't know what donburi means (even though I order it a lot), but I
know what it is. 🙂

donburi = bowl, generally accepted to mean a bowl of rice. Then there
are various permutations describing the "something" that is put over the
rice such as "tonkatsu donburi" (or "katsudon"😉 is literally tonkatsu
(fried breaded pork) over a bowl of rice.

Are you fluent in the japanese language or just menu japanese? I used
to be very good at menu french. 😉

--
See return address to reply by email

sf said:

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:25:18 -0400, George <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

jagu = potato, nimono = "one pot"

Thanks! When I eat Japanese I just call dishes by their english
names. It took me years to even clue in that Niku was beef. I still
don't know what donburi means (even though I order it a lot), but I
know what it is. 🙂

donburi = bowl, generally accepted to mean a bowl of rice. Then there
are various permutations describing the "something" that is put over the
rice such as "tonkatsu donburi" (or "katsudon"😉 is literally tonkatsu
(fried breaded pork) over a bowl of rice.

sf said:

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 15:39:38 -0400, George <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

sf said:

On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:25:18 -0400, George <[email hidden]>
wrote:

> jagu = potato, nimono = "one pot"
Thanks! When I eat Japanese I just call dishes by their english
names. It took me years to even clue in that Niku was beef. I still
don't know what donburi means (even though I order it a lot), but I
know what it is. 🙂

donburi = bowl, generally accepted to mean a bowl of rice. Then there
are various permutations describing the "something" that is put over the
rice such as "tonkatsu donburi" (or "katsudon"😉 is literally tonkatsu
(fried breaded pork) over a bowl of rice.

Are you fluent in the japanese language or just menu japanese? I used
to be very good at menu french. 😉

Used to be quite fluent in both spoken and written Japanese. I don't use
it so much now but a lot comes back when I do.

sf wrote on Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:35:58 -0700:

??>> sf wrote on Sat, 13 Oct 2007 07:43:55 -0700:
??>>
s>>> Did you make the Niku Jaga yourself or was it take out?
s>>> If you made it, do you have a recipe to post?
??>>
??>> I didn't know you could even get Niku Jaga in a
??>> restaurant.

s> That's why I asked.

??>> It's regarded as "home cooking". Here's the recipe I use
??>> (originally from the San Francisco Examiner)
??>>
s> Thanks. I'm still reeling at fish stock with beef and
s> potatoes, but I guess it's like putting in a little fish
s> sauce (which isn't a bad thing).

The small amount of fish soup stock gets blended into the
overall taste and most people would probably not guess that it
was there.

If you do some investigating you will find that one theory about
the origins of Niku Jagu is that it started in the Japanese
Navy. Partially because it was introduced because Japanese
sailors suffered from malnutrition from their standard foods and
partially because Admiral Togo who beat the Russians at sea in
1904-5 had trained with the British Navy and learned to like
their food. Sea cooks added a few things to suit the Japanese
palate but the result was pretty good even to Westerners.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not