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Japanese Meat Pastry Bites 2

Serves 4 to 6 Appetizer meat, Appetizers

Japanese Meat Pastry Bites 2

Japanese Meat Pastry Bites 2, a beloved staple at home tables, captures the essence of casual family dining in Japan. This dish is crafted with a generous hand, where salt is measured more by intuition than by scale, echoing the traditions of Japanese home cooking. Served as a shared delight, it reflects the unpretentious, communal spirit of home-cooked meals.

Each bite offers a satisfying contrast between the crispy, golden pastry and the savory, juicy filling of ground beef and onion. Seasoned simply with fine sea salt and black pepper, the flavors are straightforward yet deeply comforting. The ample use of frying oil ensures a delightful crunch in every morsel, inviting everyone to reach for more.

Ingredients

  • 300 gground beef
  • 1onion
  • 12pastry wrappers
  • for fryingoil
  • to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Begin by finely dicing 1 onion. This will ensure that the onion cooks evenly and melds well with the ground beef, creating a harmonious filling for the pastry bites.
  2. In a medium-sized skillet, add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers, indicating it's hot enough to start cooking.
  3. Add the diced onion to the skillet and sauté until it becomes translucent and slightly golden. This should take about 3-4 minutes, and the onions should release a sweet aroma, which indicates they are properly cooked.
  4. Add 300 g of ground beef to the skillet with the onions. Use a wooden spoon to break the beef into small pieces, ensuring it cooks evenly. Cook until the beef is browned and no longer pink, with a rich, savory aroma.
  5. Season the beef and onion mixture with fine sea salt and black pepper to taste. Stir well to distribute the seasoning evenly throughout the mixture.
  6. Lay out 12 pastry wrappers on a clean surface. Place a spoonful of the beef and onion mixture in the center of each wrapper, being careful not to overfill.
  7. Fold each pastry wrapper over the filling to create a sealed edge. Press the edges firmly with your fingers or a fork to ensure they are well sealed and the filling will not escape during cooking.
  8. In a clean skillet, add enough oil for frying and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Carefully place the filled pastries in the oil, cooking in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
  9. Fry the pastries until they are golden brown and crispy on both sides. This should take about 2-3 minutes per side. The pastries should have a satisfying crunch when tapped lightly with a fork.
  10. Remove the pastries from the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil. Finish with a light sprinkle of fine sea salt and serve immediately, while they are still hot and crisp.
Cover of Authentic Japanese Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Japanese Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Japanese Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Japanese volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

Available soon on Amazon…

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