Simmered Beef and Potatoes is a comforting Japanese-style dish made with thinly sliced beef and tender baby potatoes gently cooked in a richly seasoned soy sauce and sugar broth. The flavor is sweet and savory—similar to teriyaki sauce—with a beautiful glossy finish that makes it especially appetizing. It’s the kind of dish that practically demands a bowl of steamed rice on the side. Simple to prepare and full of homey flavor, this is an easy, no-fuss recipe that’s perfect for everyday cooking.
What’s Simmered Beef and Potato?
Simmered Beef and Potato is a comforting Japanese home-style dish that highlights the beauty of simple, seasonal ingredients. Japanese cuisine is deeply rooted in seasonality, and using ingredients at their peak—when they’re abundant, affordable, and full of flavor—is an important part of everyday meal planning and budgeting in Japan. From freshly harvested rice to vegetables and fruits, people look forward to each new crop not only because prices are better, but because the taste is at its very best.
Potatoes are no exception. Although they’re available year-round, their main season is in early summer. Thanks to Japan’s diverse growing regions, however, new potatoes can be found at different times of the year, even in winter. Simmered Beef and Potatoes is a wonderful way to enjoy these fresh harvests because potatoes are truly the star of the dish. When you use new crop potatoes, their natural sweetness and delicate texture really shine.
New potatoes have thin, tender skins that don’t need to be peeled. If you can find baby potatoes, that’s even better—there’s often no need to cut them at all. These little potatoes are simmered together with paper-thin slices of beef, a staple cut in Japanese cooking. As they cook, the rich umami from the beef is absorbed into the potatoes, and everything is seasoned with soy sauce and sugar. The result is a dish that is savory, slightly sweet, and deeply satisfying.
The cooking technique used here is called Nikkorogashi (煮っころがし). This traditional Japanese method involves simmering ingredients in a small amount of well-seasoned liquid, then gently rolling or shaking them in the pan as the sauce reduces. The process allows the flavors to penetrate the ingredients while creating a beautiful glossy finish. Compared to typical simmered dishes called Nimono (煮もの), which use more broth, Nikkorogashi relies on less liquid and a longer reduction, resulting in a richer, more concentrated taste. It’s a classic example of comforting Japanese home cooking for everyday dinner.
Tips for Simmered Beef and Potato
- If you can find newly harvested potatoes, that’s ideal, but don’t worry if you can’t. Regular potatoes work perfectly well for this recipe. When using larger potatoes, cut them into evenly sized pieces and lightly chamfer the edges so they don’t break apart while simmering. This small extra step helps them hold their shape and gives the finished dish a nicer appearance.
- If you prefer, you can substitute thinly sliced pork for the beef. It’s just as delicious and still pairs beautifully with the sweet and savory seasoning.
- Mirin is added at the end to give the dish an extra glossy finish. That final shine may seem like a small detail, but presentation really does matter—it makes the dish look more appetizing and inviting, and somehow even more comforting.
More recipes like Simmered Beef and Potato
A comforting Japanese-style dish made with thinly sliced beef and tender baby potatoes in a richly seasoned soy sauce and sugar broth
Instructions
Wash the potatoes well and remove any sprouts. Pat dry. Cut the thinly sliced beef into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.
Heat oil in a pot or deep pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook until the surfaces are lightly browned. Add the beef and cook until just starting to brown.
Pour in the water, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Season with sugar, soy sauce, and sake, and continue cooking until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add the mirin and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: beef, Nikkorogashi, potato
English (US) · 