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Beef Watercress Rice Bowl （牛肉とクレソンの丼）

Rice bowls are all the rage in casual New York restaurants—but this one will become your ultimate champion! With just beef, peppery watercress, fresh ginger, and crunchy walnuts (plus rice and a few basic seasonings), you can make a bowl that’s easy, flavorful, and guaranteed to put a big smile on any beef lover’s face.
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Servings: 1 person
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small ginger
  • 1 tbsp sake
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2-3 pieces thinly sliced beef
  • 1/4 bunch watercress--wash and trim the stems
  • 2 tsp chopped walnuts

Method
 

  1. Grate a small piece of ginger
  2. Pour 1 tbsp of sake into a small pot and turn on the heat. add 2 tsp of sugar and 2 tbsp of soy sauce. When the liquid starts boiling, add the grated ginger.
  3. Add 2 - 3 pieces of thinly sliced beef. Keep on cooking until the color of the beef has changed. Continue cooking until just a small amount of sauce remains.
  4. Place warm Japanese white rice in the bowl, and then place the beef and sauce in the center of the rice.
  5. Place watercress around the beef.
  6. Sprinkle walnuts on the top of the beef.

Notes

The combination of beef and watercress isn’t exactly traditional, but the seasoning of sake, sugar, and soy sauce is one of the most classic flavor bases in Japanese cooking.
For tips on how to cook perfect Japanese white rice, please see my post: “Japanese White Rice.”
Thinly sliced beef is sold at Japanese grocery stores and often at Korean markets as well. If you can’t find it, ask your local butcher to slice beef thinly with a machine, or buy the thinnest beef at the supermarket and cut it into strips if needed.