Hayashi Rice (Japanese Beef and Tomato Stew over Rice)

Method

1. Cut the beef into 4 to 5 cm pieces and season with half the salt and half the pepper. Halve the onions and slice them 5 mm thick along the grain; thinly slice the mushrooms.

   Add in this stepBeef sirloin or other tender cut, thinly sliced 160 gSalt 1½ pinchBlack pepper 1 pinch

2. Heat the oil in a 20 cm pot over medium-high heat, spread out the beef and cook for 2 min, just until the outside changes colour, then lift it out. Cooking it through now would make it tough later.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1½ tsp

   medium-high heat

3. Melt the butter in the same pot, add the onions and cook over medium heat for 10 min, stirring often, until soft and light golden. Their sweetness makes the sauce, so don't rush. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 min more.

   Add in this stepButter 18 gOnions 200 gButton mushrooms 80 g

   medium heat

4. Turn down to medium-low heat, sprinkle over the flour and stir for 2 min, until no dry flour shows and it smells toasty. Cooking the flour well thickens the sauce without a raw, floury taste.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 15 g

   medium-low heat

5. Pour in the red wine and boil over medium-high heat for 1 min 30 sec, scraping up the browned bits. Add the tomatoes, water, crumbled stock cube, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and sugar, stir until smooth and return the beef. When it bubbles, turn down to low heat and simmer for 15 min, stirring to the bottom now and then.

   Add in this stepRed wine 60 mlCanned chopped tomatoes 150 gWater 220 mlBeef stock cube 1Tomato ketchup 3 tbspWorcestershire sauce 3½ tspSugar 1 tsp

   medium-high heat→low heat

6. Taste and season with the remaining salt and pepper. It is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. Spoon the rice into bowls, ladle the sauce generously alongside and sprinkle with parsley.

   Add in this stepSalt 1½ pinchBlack pepper 1 pinchWarm cooked short-grain rice 400 gParsley, chopped 2 g