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Japanese Meatball Pot

Serves 4 to 6 Entree meat

Japanese Meatball Pot

Japanese Meatball Pot is a comforting staple often found on home tables across Japan, especially during the cooler months. This dish captures the essence of Japanese home cooking, where ingredients are measured by intuition and the cook's experience. It's a family favorite, brought to life with simple yet flavorful components that come together to create a warm and inviting meal.

Expect juicy meatballs, enriched with the savory depth of onion and the subtle sweetness of ripe tomatoes. The generous use of fat ensures a rich, satisfying broth, while the gentle seasoning of fine sea salt and black pepper allows the natural flavors to shine through. Serve it steaming hot, inviting everyone to gather around and share in its heartwarming simplicity.

Ingredients

  • 700 gground beef
  • 1onion
  • 1egg
  • 2 tbspbreadcrumbs
  • 2tomatoes
  • to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Start by finely chopping 1 onion. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped onion with 700 g of ground beef, 1 egg, and 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs. Season the mixture with fine sea salt and black pepper to taste. Use your hands to mix everything until well combined, ensuring the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  2. Form the mixture into small, even-sized meatballs, about the size of a golf ball. This will help them cook uniformly. Place them on a plate as you shape them, ready for cooking.
  3. Heat a generous amount of oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully add the meatballs in a single layer, ensuring they are not overcrowded. Brown the meatballs on all sides until they develop a deep, rich color, which should take about 3 to 4 minutes per side. This step locks in the juices and enhances the flavor.
  4. While the meatballs are browning, dice 2 tomatoes. Once the meatballs are browned, add the diced tomatoes to the skillet. Stir gently to combine with the meatballs, allowing the tomatoes to release their juices and create a sauce.
  5. Reduce the heat to low and cover the skillet. Let the meatballs braise in the tomato sauce for about 15 minutes, or until they are cooked through. The meatballs should be firm to the touch and the sauce should have thickened slightly, coating the meatballs.
  6. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the Japanese Meatball Pot hot, accompanied by rice, bread, or a fresh salad, inviting everyone to share and enjoy.
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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