Instead of sugar, this teriyaki sauce uses prunes and mirin for sweetness. Use it as a marinade or a marinade and a slow-cooker sauce for comfort food rice bowls.
To make the steak: In a blender, add prunes and hot water. Soak for 5 minutes to soften prunes, then add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil and blend together until smooth.
Put the steak in the insert of a large slow cooker. Pour the prune-soy blend over the steak and top with onion. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Remove the meat from slow cooker and place on cutting board. Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 60 ml [1/4 cup] water. Whisk into the sauce and cook until the sauce thickens and reduces down to about 2 cups, 5 to 10 minutes.
To make the rice bowl: In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm 5 ml [1 teaspoon] oil. Add the carrots and green onions and season with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until carrots are lightly browned, 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Put the pan back on the stove and warm 2 tsp oil. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the broccolini and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until broccolini is lightly charred and crisp but tender, 3 minutes. Transfer to plate with the carrots.
To serve, divide rice between bowls. Slice the meat and put it on top of rice, then spoon sauce over the meat. Top with sautéed vegetables and sesame seeds. Serve additional sauce and hot sauce on the side.
TIP: For a shortcut method, skim the braise in the final 20 minutes of cooking and add the carrots, green onions, and broccolini, allowing them to cook in the liquid instead of sautéing them separately. After slicing the meat, serve the vegetables and sauce directly from the slow cooker with rice.
150 g / 1 cup Prune Bits
240 ml / 1 cup hot water
5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
15 g / 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped ginger
120 ml / 1/2 cup soy sauce
80 ml/ 1/3 cup mirin
15 ml / 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1.4 kg / 3 pounds boneless chuck steak
1 yellow onion, sliced
10 g / 1 tablespoon cornstarch
15 ml / 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
3 green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
Salt
1 garlic clove, smashed
300 g / 3 cups sliced broccolini or broccoli florets
600 g / 5 cups cooked brown rice
15 ml / 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Hot sauce, such as sriracha or gochujang
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