JAPANESE SHORT RIB
IZAKAYA SPREAD
Bring a taste of Japan home with this cozy, crowd-pleasing izakaya-style spread, starring melt-in-your-mouth Japanese short ribs, snacky shareable sides, and ice-cold beer to wash it all down.
Serves: 6-8 | Budget: $$$ | Prep Time: 2.5 Hours | Cook Time: 30 Minutes
PERFECTLY PAIRED PLAYLIST
If it feels like everyone you know has just come back from Japan (or is currently there), you're not wrong. And if you haven’t been yet—yes, it will absolutely blow your mind.
One of our favourite things about being there were the izakayas. You’ll find them in big cities, tiny mountain towns, and everywhere in between. Casual settings, cold beer, small plates, and that perfect buzz of energy that makes you want to stay all night. These pics are from some of our favourite Izakayas in Japan.
This menu is our attempt to recreate that magic. Yes, there are a few components, but that’s the joy of it—little bites of everything, meant to be shared. Braised short ribs that fall apart with a spoon, chewy potato mochi with yaki sauce, crunchy cucumber salad, kimchi, silken tofu, and side rice to pull it all together.
If hopping on a flight isn’t in the cards right now, make this spread, throw on the Japanese Soul Funk playlist, crack a beer. It’s not quite Tokyo, but it’s pretty close.
COMBINED SHOPPING LIST
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○ 1 large Onion
○ 3-inch piece Fresh Ginger
○ 9 Garlic Cloves
○ ¼ Mu Radish or Daikon
○ 6 Green Onions
○ 16 ounces Russet Potato
○ 6 Persian Cucumbers -
○ 4 lb. 2"-thick Boneless beef short ribs
○ 1 Egg
○ 1 pkg. Silken Tofu -
○ 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
○ 1 Ball of Mozzarella Cheese -
○ Kosher Salt
○ Black Pepper
○ Grapeseed or Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
○ ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp. (packed) Light Brown Sugar
○ 8 Tbsp. Potato Starch
○ 1 sheet Nori
○ ⅓ cup + 4 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
○ 3/4 cup Mirin
○ 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp. Sugar
○ 1/2 Tbsp. Black Vinegar
○ 1/2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. Sesame Oil
○ 1 Tbsp. Chili Oil
○ 2 cups Kimchi
○ 1 cup Rice
○ 3 Tbsp. Unseasoned Rice Vinegar
○ 2 Tbsp. toasted Black Sesame Seeds -
○ 2 cups Dry Red Wine
○ Japanese Beer (Sapporo, Asahi)
KEY TIMING & TIPS
This menu has no starters, so we recommend aiming to have the meal ready shortly after your guests arrive!
Start cooking the short ribs 4.25 hours before dinner. We recommend starting the prep right after starting the short ribs braise, but if you take a break, make sure you start the prep steps at least 2.5 hours before guests arrive.
Add radish to the short ribs 60 mins BMT and then start the cooking steps 30 minutes BMT.
PREP STEPS
Start 4.5 Hours Before Meal Time
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Start 4.5 Hours Before Meal Time •
Start the Short Ribs
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About 1 hour before you’d like to begin cooking, pull the Beef Short Ribs from the refrigerator and allow them to come up to room temperature. Just before cooking, use a paper towel to pat the ribs as dry as possible. Season short ribs all over with salt.
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Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high. Working in 2 or 3 batches, brown ribs, turning occasionally and reducing heat if needed to prevent scorching, until browned all over, 8–12 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
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Add 1 large chopped onion, 8 crushed garlic cloves, and 2" piece ginger, peeled, sliced ⅛" thick to same pot and cook, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned, 6–8 minutes.
Add 2 cups dry red wine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, 8–10 minutes.
Add ½ cup mirin, ⅓ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup packed light brown sugar, and 2 cups water. Return ribs to pot and bring liquid to a simmer.
Partially cover pot and cook, reducing heat to maintain a very gentle simmer and adding splashes of water as needed, until ribs are very tender (they should shred easily) and sauce is thick enough to coat meat, 3–3½ hours (set a timer to check at 3 hours).
Start at least 2.5 Hours before guests arrive
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Start at least 2.5 Hours before guests arrive •
Make the Potato Mochi
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Boil a large pot of salted water.
Meanwhile, clean the 4 Russet Potatoes.
Boil the potatoes until fork tender, approximately 10-15 minutes depending on size. (You can jump ahead to the other prep steps while the potatoes are boiling if you’d like.)
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Once the potatoes have cooked, drain them thoroughly, let them cool briefly and then remove the skins and add the potato into a mixing bowl.
Add 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, softened or melted to the mixing bowl with the cooked potato and mash together with a fork or a potato masher until well combined.
Then, add 8 Tbsp. Potato Starch and mix until smooth and no more dry starch is visible. The dough should be able to be balled up and hold its shape nicely, but it should not be sticky.
Divide potato dough into 16 portions. Ball up a portion of the potato dough, then flatten it in your palm. Place ~1 Tbsp. Mozzarella Cheese in the center and wrap the dough around the cheese. Pinch together the seams and any cracks. Shape into a 2 to 3 inch wide patty. Repeat with remaining dough.
Cover and set aside in the fridge.
Make the Sauces
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In a small bowl mix together 1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar, 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce, 1/2 Tbsp. Black Vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil, 1 Tbsp. Chili Oil.
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In a small bowl, make the yaki sauce by mixing together 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce, 2 Tbsp. Mirin, and 2 Tbsp. granulated Sugar. Cover and refrigerate for later.
Prep the Tofu and Rice
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Remove the Silken (or Soft) Tofu from its packaging and slice it into 0.5 planks widthwise. Place on a serving plate.
Pour the tofu sauce from the previous step all over the tofu.
Top with 2 chopped Green Onions for garnish.
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Make rice with 1 cup uncooked Jasmine Rice and keep warm.
Prep the Salad
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Halve 6 Persian Cucumbers lengthwise, then slice on a steep diagonal into 2-inch to 3-inch pieces, but don’t get the ruler out; imperfection is what we’re after. Add to a serving bowl and refrigerate.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 finely grated Garlic Clove, 3 Tbsp. Unseasoned Rice Vinegar, 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce, 1 tsp. Sesame oil, 1 tsp. Sugar, and 1 tsp. peeled and finely grated Ginger. Cover and refrigerate.
Mise en Place
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Peel ¼ Mu or Daikon Radish (about 8 oz.) and cut into 1” pieces.
Cover and set aside in the fridge.Put 2 cups of kimchi into a serving bowl and put in the fridge.
Fry the Mochi
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In a medium or large nonstick pan over medium heat, add enough Cooking Oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Make sure the oil is hot, then gently place the patties into the pan and pan fry each side until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
When the potato mochi patties are done pan frying, move the patties to a baking sheet lined with paper towel and cover. Soak up any excess oil in the pan with a paper towel and set aside to use later.
Now Set the Table
COOK STEPS
60 Mins Before Dinner
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60 Mins Before Dinner •
Final Cooking Steps
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Add the mu or daikon radish pieces to the short ribs about 1 hour before ribs are done.
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When your 3hr timer goes off, check to see if the short ribs are very tender (they should shred easily and fall off the bone) and sauce is thick enough to coat meat. If they need more time, turn up the heat and leave to cook up to another 30 minutes.
Once done, put on the lowest heat setting possible to keep warm before serving.
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Reheat the mochi in yaki sauce: Pour the prepared yaki sauce in a large nonstick pan and bring to a simmer.
Allow the potato patties to simmer in the sauce, flipping once or twice, until the sauce thickens and looks glossy.
Wrap the potato mochi with a strip of nori, add to a serving plate and put on the table.
Dinner Time
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Dinner Time •
Serve!
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Put the rice in a serving dish and put it on the table.
Put out the bowl of kimchi.
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Salt the cucumbers and add the dressing. Toss to coat. Taste for salt. Top with the 2 Tbsp. toasted Black Sesame Seeds and drizzle Chili Oil over the top. Give another toss and serve.
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Put the short ribs and all of the sauce in a serving dish, put it on the table and enjoy your spread!
Credits
RECIPE CREDITS
Olivia Noceda: Strawberry Peppercorn Syrup & Strawberry Mignonette
Lucky Dragon Supper Club: Mini Tuna Toastadas
Andy Baraghani/ Bon Appetit: Clams with Spicy Tomato Broth & Garlic Mayo
IMAGE CREDITS
Olga Dementev