Teriyaki Beef Meatballs Donburi with Avocado, Tomatoes and Radish

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Melt in the mouth Teriyaki Beef Meatballs slathered in a delicious sticky, sweet, salty, shiny sauce and served with Japanese sticky rice, smooth and creamy avocado, crispy radish and sweet tomatoes. Delicious comfort and utter heaven for meatball lovers!

Donburi recipes, or Rice Bowls, always start with a bowl of steaming fluffy rice served with a variety of toppings including meat, fish, vegetables and often a sauce which soaks into, and deliciously flavours, the rice below. Hugely popular in Japan and easy to prepare at home, this concept lends itself well to many adaptations and is ideal when using seasonal food and flexible enough to ensure you can use food you have available at home. Donburi really is the ultimate Japanese comfort food. Have a look at my other similar recipes for:

• Salmon Teriyaki Donburi
• Teriyaki Minced Beef and Rice

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Teriyaki is a sweet Japanese sauce made with soy sauce, sake, and mirin, (a sweet sake used in cooking). It is not a marinade, rather a glaze, which you spoon or brush onto the meat or fish whilst it is cooking. This Donburi recipe includes:

• a base layer of steaming hot fluffy Japanese rice
• some Japanese beef meatballs flavoured with ginger, garlic and togarashi
• Teriyaki sauce
• some avocado, radish and tomatoes
• a garnish of sesame seeds and spring onions

This dish is a complete meal mixing a wonderful and harmonious array of flavours and textures. The delicious sauce trickles down into the rice below ensuring you can enjoy the wonderful sweet sticky sauce through to the last mouthful.

I include a recipe for Teriyaki sauce here but pre-made versions are also widely available in most supermarkets. They do vary however and some can be far too sweet so I much prefer to make my own. The ingredients should all be available in large supermarkets and most definitely in Asian supermarkets. Alternatively, try on line. The Japan Centrein the UK has a good selection of ingredients and delivers over the whole of the UK.

First make the Meatballs:

• grate the onion and mix with the breadcrumbs
• prepare the ginger and garlic and add to the breadcrumbs
• then add the sesame seeds, sesame oil, shichimi togarashi (if using), salt and pepper
• mix well
• add the beef and mix thoroughly with your hands
• use a small ice cream scoop to make 24 meatballs then roll them in your hands to make smoother balls
• tip onto a tray with a little oil, shake to cover and cook in a pre-heated oven for 12 minutes.
• put the rice on to cook
• lay the table – I really love the simplicity of Japanese pottery!

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Then make the Teriyaki Sauce:

• combine the soy sauce, cooking sake, mirin and water in a saucepan. Bring to a brisk simmer and reduce by half.
• Add the sugar and stir to dissolve
• All done!
• (NB if you find it difficult to gauge when the sauce has reduced by half, insert a wooden skewer into the sauce before you bring it to the boil and make mark where the sauce comes to. Take it out and make a second mark to half way between you first mark and the base of the skewer and simmer until the sauce reaches this second mark. Remember to take the saucepan off the heat when checking to avoid the steam burning you!)

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When you are ready to prepare your meal all you need to do is:

• transfer the meatballs from the baking tray to a frying pan, add the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes until it thickens. Brush the sauce over the meatballs as you cook. (Sorry – I totally forgot to photograph this stage! Please refer to my Salmon Teriyaki Donburi if you need more guidance on this!)
• when the meatballs are ready build our donburi:
  • steaming rice
  • meatballs
  • Teriyaki sauce
  • avocado, radish and tomatoes
  • sesame seeds and spring onions
  • eat!