History

Doteyaki originated in Osaka around 1920 as cheap-cut hot food for working-class drinkers. The name comes from doteni (cooked bank), referring to the way miso paste was piled at the edge of an iron pan as the broth thickened. The Shinsekai district holds the city's most committed doteyaki bars, Daruma's Shinsekai branches included.

Common allergens: Soy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1kg beef tendon (from an Asian butcher)
  • 2 litres water (for first simmer)
  • 30g fresh ginger, sliced
  • 2 spring onions, whole
  • 600ml dashi stock (kombu and bonito)
  • 200ml mirin
  • 100ml sake
  • 120g white miso (saikyo miso)
  • 60g red miso
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 200g konjac (devil's tongue), torn into bite pieces
  • Bamboo skewers, soaked in water
  • 1 small bunch finely sliced spring onion, to garnish
  • Shichimi togarashi or ichimi pepper, to finish

Method

  1. Place the beef tendon in a large pot with the 2 litres cold water, sliced ginger and whole spring onions. Bring to a boil and skim the surface.
  2. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours until the tendon is tender enough to pierce with a chopstick.
  3. Lift the tendon out and cool. Cut into 2cm chunks. Discard the cooking water and aromatics.
  4. Briefly boil the konjac in fresh water for 2 minutes to remove its mineral smell. Drain.
  5. In a clean pot, combine the dashi, mirin and sake. Bring to a simmer.
  6. Whisk in both misos, sugar and soy sauce until smooth.
  7. Add the tendon and konjac. Simmer gently uncovered for 90 minutes to 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes, until the broth thickens to a glossy dark-amber lacquer that coats the meat.
  8. Thread the tendon onto skewers (about 3 pieces each). Spoon over a little of the reduced broth.
  9. Garnish with sliced spring onion and a dusting of shichimi togarashi. Eat with an icy mug of Sapporo or Asahi.

Tip from the editors. The longer the second simmer, the more the broth thickens and the lacquer deepens; the bars run their pots for days. White miso is sweet; red adds depth.

Where to eat doteyaki

Doteyaki in Osaka

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