Japanese-style Mabo Eggplant with grass-fed beef and lots of colorful vegetables

Although I primarily follow a plant-based diet, I enjoy preparing meat dishes once a week or slightly more often, as I've found this suits me better after trying various dietary approaches in the past. Recently, I cooked a Japanese-style Mabo Eggplant using grass-fed beef and an assortment of colorful vegetables.

The sauce is a gentle miso base, savory, slightly sweet, and full of umami.

I like to serve the rich meat-and-vegetable sauce first and decorate it with golden pan-fried eggplants on top. Simple, nourishing, and perfect for cozy dinners. Enjoy!

Serves: 3–4

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Japanese eggplants (or 1 large Western eggplant), cut into bite-size pieces

• 2–3 tbsp olive oil (for frying eggplant)

• 1 lb (450g) grass-fed ground beef

• 1 tsp minced ginger

• ½ tsp minced garlic

• 1 onion (purple is fine), diced

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 1 carrot, diced

• 3 mini bell peppers, diced

• 4 shiitake mushrooms (or other mushrooms), chopped

• 1 tbsp olive oil (for sautéing vegetables and beef)

• Pinch of salt & pepper

• 1 tbsp sake

• 1 tbsp mirin

• 1½–2 tbsp miso paste (adjust to taste)

• 3–4 tbsp water (to create a smooth sauce)

  
  

Instructions

1. Cook eggplants. Heat 2–3 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and pan-fry until golden and tender. Remove and set aside.

   
   

2. Sauté Vegetables. In the same pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add ginger and garlic, then onion, celery, carrot, bell peppers, and mushrooms.Sauté for about 5–7 minutes until the vegetables soften.

   
   

3. Add the ground beef to the pan with the vegetables. Stir in sake, mirin, miso, and 3–4 tbsp water. Mix well, cover with a lid, and cook for a few minutes until the beef is cooked through and the flavors blend together. Adjust seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper if needed.

   
   

4. Spoon the savory miso beef-and-vegetable sauce onto a serving dish, then arrange the cooked eggplant pieces on top as a garnish. Alternatively, you can gently mix the eggplants in if you prefer a homestyle look.

   
   

5. Sprinkle with chopped green onions or sesame seeds before serving.

Serving Ideas

• Serve over steamed rice, barley, or quinoa.

• Add chili oil or shichimi togarashi if you like a spicy touch.