Venison · Rice bowl

Venison shakushina rice bowls

By Wild Food Japan · Updated

Ginger-soy simmered venison over rice with chopped shakushina pickles. A Chichibu-inspired bowl using a local preserved vegetable.

Shakushina pickles bring crunch to softly simmered venison. Add them after cooking rather than boiling away their texture. Use bought pickles here; this recipe does not include a fermentation or preservation method.

Jump to recipeLocal ingredients
Serves
2
Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min

Ingredients

  • Venison leg, 250g, cut across the grain into thin strips
  • Shakushina pickles, 60g, drained and chopped
  • Fresh ginger, 20g, cut into thin strips
  • Soy sauce, 1½ tbsp
  • Sake, 2 tbsp
  • Mirin, 2 tbsp
  • Water, 150ml
  • Sugar, 1 tsp
  • Cooked rice, 2 bowls
  • Toasted sesame seeds, 1 tsp

Steps

  1. Thaw the venison in the refrigerator. Prepare the pickles first on a clean board, then use a separate board and utensils for raw meat.
  2. Bring the ginger, soy sauce, sake, mirin, water, and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan.
  3. Add the meat a little at a time, separating the strips. Return to a gentle simmer and skim if necessary.
  4. Cover loosely and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add a little water if the liquid reduces too quickly.
  5. Probe the thickest strip from the side. Reach at least 75°C at its center and maintain that for at least 1 minute. Continue simmering if the meat is not yet tender.
  6. Reduce the broth briefly, then spoon the venison onto rice with clean utensils. Add the drained pickles and sesame seeds at the table; reduce the pickle portion if very salty.

Cook it through

Wild game needs thorough cooking. These recipes follow MHLW's guidance: at least 75°C at the center for at least one minute. Use a probe in the thickest part, not color or the clock alone. Keep raw meat and its utensils separate from ready-to-eat food. Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator; freezing is not a substitute for cooking.

MHLW: cooking wild game safely (JA)

Regional produce

Chichibu, Saitama

Regional produce plus a locally based processor. The cited certification establishes the facility and species, not every animal's capture location. Ask the seller for the batch origin before calling the meat Chichibu-caught.

  • Shakushina pickles

    The prefecture documents late-October to November harvest followed by pickling. Pickle availability is distinct from the fresh harvest.

    Saitama Prefecture: shakushina

    Drain and chop bought pickles for a ginger-venison rice bowl. Add after cooking for crunch.

    Fresh harvest: late October to November. Ask separately about preserved stock.

Open the regional ingredient guideMAFF: Minano deer-processing facility

An original editorial recipe by Wild Food Japan, based on established cooking methods. It has not been kitchen-tested by our team. Times are estimates; verify temperature and tenderness. Linked producers have not endorsed the recipe. They sell and fulfill meat orders. Wild Food Japan does not sell the meat.

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