Niku-dofu is a classic Japanese dish made by simmering beef and tofu in a sweet-and-savory broth of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. It pairs perfectly with rice. Below is a basic recipe for two servings, ready in about 20 minutes.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Firm (momen) tofu: 1 block (about 300 g)
Thinly sliced beef: 150 g
Japanese long green onion (negi): 50 g
Vegetable oil: as needed
Water: 66 ml
Mirin: 50 ml
Mentsuyu (noodle soup base, 2x concentrate): 100 ml
If you don’t have mentsuyu, substitute 150 ml water, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons mirin, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon Japanese dashi powder.
Instructions
Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces about 2 cm thick. Cut the beef into easy-to-eat pieces and slice the green onion diagonally. If using enoki mushrooms, trim off the base and separate them into small clusters.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the beef. Once it changes color, add the tofu, the white parts of the green onion, and the enoki mushrooms.
Add the water, mentsuyu, and mirin. Simmer over low heat for 7–8 minutes. Occasionally spoon the broth over the tofu to help it absorb the flavor.
At the end, add the green parts of the green onion and cook briefly. Transfer to serving dishes and add shichimi togarashi or chopped green onion, if desired.
Tips for Best Results
Firm tofu is recommended because it absorbs the broth well, but fried tofu (yaki-dofu) also works and is less likely to break apart.
If you want to keep the tofu intact, simmer the meat and vegetables first, then gently add the tofu.
Bring the dish to a boil, then reduce to low heat and let it cool slightly; this helps the tofu absorb more flavor.
Add shiitake mushrooms, onion, shirataki noodles, or daikon radish to make it a more substantial one-dish meal.
Easy Variation
You can also make it with pork belly slices and fried tofu. In that case, put the meat, tofu, and seasonings into a frying pan, cover, bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Adding 1 teaspoon of miso as a hidden flavor adds extra richness.
