Japanese dishes can sometimes look deceivingly simple like a basic bowl of ramen or udon. But the magic is in the broth. Whether it is dashi, pork bone, miso, chicken, or beef, your bowl of Japanese noodles will taste amazing! Today, I made a rich, healthy beef broth made with oxtail that is perfect for cooking Japanese soups and stews, and even enjoying as it is for a warm pick-me-up on a cold winter day. Make a lot of this oxtail broth because you will find so many ways to use it in your cooking.
How to Make Pressure Cooker Oxtail Broth for Japanese Dishes
There are many oxtail soup and oxtail broth recipes online, but a quick note on my recipe. I made this instant pot oxtail broth recipe so that I can use this broth (and meat) as a base to specifically make Japanese recipes. Therefore, this recipe is a simple, quick version without many vegetables that other broth recipes may include. To make the best Japanese-style oxtail broth, the key is in the cooking process. In Japanese cooking, we try to achieve the “clean and refined” taste to enjoy the true flavors from the ingredients themselves in dishes. So to create an authentic Japanese-style beef broth, we soak the oxtail in water for at least one hour, then pre-boil the oxtail and meticulously rinse off the layer of scum. This method ensures a pure, balanced flavor in the broth and also gives that distinctively clean look to Japanese dishes.
The Use of Oxtail in Japan
As you might remember me mentioning in my Pressure Cooker Oxtail Soup recipe post, I had never eaten oxtail in Japan. It wasn’t until I came to the US in the late 90’s that I discovered it. Oxtail dishes (especially soup) is well-known in Miyagi Prefecture where the use of beef tongue in dishes is considered its regional food. But other than in Miyagi Prefecture, oxtail wasn’t a common Japanese ingredient. That changed in 2003 when the big Korean Wave (韓流) hit Japan with the popular drama “Winter Sonata”. Korean cuisine and ingredients became more accessible in Japan, including oxtail. Though it’s still not a common ingredient to cook in Japanese households. Oxtail Udon
Oxtail Udon (Next blog post. I’ll be using “Oxtail Dashi”.) Oxtail Japanese Curry (Tested already, and it’s delicious!) Oxtail Oden (Fish Cake Stew) Oxtail Japanese Stew Oxtail Okayu (Porridge) Oxtail Ramen
Don’t let me stop you there! Pressure cooker oxtail broth is slurp-it-up delicious and so restorative this time of year that it can be used to enhance many Japanese dishes while keeping you healthy, happy, and warm.
