Japanese Inspired Pot Roast

Japanese Inspired Pot Roast combines two classic flavors, American pot roast and Japanese soy and mirin broth, into one luscious dinner spanning cultures.

This post is sponsored by the Certified Angus Beef ® brand in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.

Japanese Pot Roast

Classic beef pot roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots is probably the most comforting of comfort foods. Some might wonder why mess with perfection.

My answer to that is why not.

By now, it’s well known I love playing with flavors, herbs/spices, and fusion foods. International flavors can be made at home quite easily with just a bit of patience and practice plus a dollop of adventure.

Just a disclaimer about this recipe: there’s a bit of love, labor, time, and ingredients in this recipe. I’d not recommend this recipe for a busy weeknight but rather a weekend family dinner, at least until you’ve made it a few times.

Also this post for Japanese Inspired Pot Roast is REALLY long! You can hit the jump to recipe at the top of the post or simple scroll down. I provide some process or step by step pictures as well.

Ingredients Needed to Make Japanese Inspired Beef Roast

The average-to-large grocery store can provide all the ingredients needed to make this recipe.

• 3-4 pound beef rump roast (chuck roast works too, but yields much more grease that needs to be removed. I used a 3.17 lb. Certified Angus Beef bottom round rump roast.)
• Pantry items: salt, pepper, flour, beef stock, butter, star anise pod, and cornstarch.
• Produce: onion, garlic, ginger, mushrooms (3 types), carrots, and daikon (see below for more about daikon.)
• Condiments: sesame oil, mirin, and soy sauce.
• Optional ingredients: udon noodles, jasmine rice, green onions, and cilantro.

What is Daikon?

Daikon is a radish. It looks like a white carrot, only much larger. Daikon is tremendously popular throughout Asian countries like China and Japan.

I was first introduced to daikon in Vietnamese sandwiches Bahn Mi. Carrots and daikon are pickled and used as a condiment on the sandwich, much like coleslaw is used atop a pulled pork sandwich.

Despite having eaten daikon for most of my life, it’s only been in the last few years that I saw one raw, in its natural state and learned it was a radish.

When eaten raw, it’s a bit tart and spicy. Once cooked, its natural sweetness comes out. Those two properties are much like red radishes commonly sold in our grocery stores.

Are Mirin and Sake the Same Thing?

Yes-ish.

Both Mirin and Sake start the same by becoming rice wine. However, sake is used for drinking whereas mirin is used for cooking. Mirin is a core ingredient in many Japanese recipes, just like soy sauce.

Think of it this way: mirin is the cooking wine you can buy at your local grocery store but would never consider drinking; sake is what you purchase at your local wine/liquor store to be served to dinner guests.

Mirin is sweeter than sake too. It’s been fortified with sugar and other ingredients.

In a pinch, you can use sake in place of mirin by dissolving sugar into it. Personally, I’d only do this in extreme need and in small quantities.

Is There a Difference in Soy Sauce or Mirin Brands?

Absolutely.

Condiments are much like cars; wide variety in makes, models, features, and luxury.

As I mentioned above, today’s grocery stores have fantastic international aisles where all kinds of products can be found. Soy sauce and mirin are surely among the products.

Unfortunately, many of the more well known brands of these condiments are not 100% authentic. Many have other ingredients in them to speed up the aging process that ultimately would give these products their flavor.

Due to the additives, the flavors aren’t as rich or deep as those made in the traditional way. In simple terms, soy sauce, mirin, and other ingredients like balsamic vinegar need to be aged like wine does.

The longer it’s aged, the more expensive it is, just like wine or whiskey. The widely available brands the grocery store work very well in this recipe, however, double the amount is needed.

Please see the notes in the recipe card for how much of each to use based on which brands you’re using.

Using too much of the good stuff will take umami to a not so good level. Using too little of the widely available stuff will leave you with a bland, flavorless meal. (I speak from experience, I have made this recipe several times trying to get the balance right with both grades of products.)

What’s the Best Cut of Beef for Japanese Style Pot Roast?

Rump roast!

I am a huge fan of the chuck roast. It’s usually less expensive, has amazing marbling, and when left to slow cook or braise for hours, it utterly tender.

The first couple of rounds with this recipe, I used chuck roast.

And, I didn’t like it as much as I wanted.

The aforementioned amazing marbling in the chuck roast yielded too much renderings that interfered with the final results of my sauce.

I’m old school and scoop out renderings with a kitchen tablespoon or let it cool and solidify, then remove it. Both of these did not work well enough.

Trying the recipe again with a bottom round rump roast produced the exact results I was hoping for. Yes, there are still renderings to remove, but a lot less. Because this is a low and slow recipe, the rump roast with less marbling was perfectly cooked and moist.

How to Make Japanese Pot Roast?

Below are the step by step (or condensed steps) for making Japanese Inspired Pot Roast in a Dutch oven.

Pat the roast dry and season with salt and pepper prior to searing.

Pat/sprinkle the flour over the roast. I like to sprinkle a bit more salt and pepper as well, but it’s not necessary.

Sear all sides of the roast, including the ends/sides.

Once the roast has been seared, set it aside and sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger.

Slowly pour in the low sodium beef stock and deglaze the bottom, pulling up all the stuck on bits.

Add the mirin to the broth.

Add the soy sauce being. Use measuring cups for accuracy.

Dropping in two star anise pods. If using broken ones, puzzle together pieces to make whole ones.

Return the rump roast to the dutch oven into the broth; braise and wait!

Sauté the shiitake, cremini, and white button mushrooms during the last half hour of braising the roast.

Strain out the aromatic using a fine mesh sieve (with or without using a coffee filter as a liner for catching the renderings).

Add the mushrooms, daikon, carrots, strained broth, and roast back to the dutch oven. The Japanese Inspired Pot Roast is pictured here in the slow cooker as slow cooker directions are provided below.

The roast and vegetables are done, time to make the sauce.

Bring the remaining sauce to a quick boil.

Remove a couple of cups of HOT broth and whisk in the cornstarch until smooth.

Pour the cornstarch slurry into the hot simmering broth. Whisk it in well until smooth and the boil resumes.

Personally, the sauce is thick enough once it clings to the back of a spoon.

Quickly sauté the udon noodles in a bit of sesame oil and the reserved broth.

If making a Japanese Pot Roast Noodle bowl, toss in the meat, veggies and then the sauce.

Delicious Asian Beef Recipes

If you’re looking for other Asian or Asian inspired recipes using beef, check these out.

• Orange Honey Hoisin Short Ribs
• Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps
• Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef from The Magical Slow Cooker
• Thai Beef Noodles
• Beef Vermicelli Stir-Fry

Thank you for sharing!