Niigata Gyunabe

Description: Gyunabe is a hot pot dish that is under the nabe-classification of meat hot pot. The word "Gyu" means meat and "nabe" is hot pot dish and when it is from Niigata people will sometimes call it “Niigata Gyunabe”. If it is being generalized and not Niigata specific it is under the umbrella of Japanese-italian cuisine referred to as “Itaria Gyunabe”. 

Not Sukiyaki: What makes something beef stew is when a Fatty-sauce is added as it is a "Simmering Nabe" as the base and Kansai-style Sukiyaki has its bases in Sugar-Shoyu and it involves something "Grilled" according to Araiya (Yokohama) that has more than 120 years of history. Kanto-style uses fats and sugars, meanwhile Chubu the area Niigata is in has yet to come to an agreement of the still developing style of Chubu-style Sukiyaki. 

Regional: Gyunabe in Niigata is different as it has its own variation that is different from Kanagawa Gyunabe and Yokohama Gyunabe that are also known for their own hot pots. In Niigata, Gyunabe is a sort of nabe that does not fall under yoshoku due to its history, however some argue about its background and still choose to classify it as such. It is no surprise as there are a number of Mizutaki nabe and Motsunabe that are eaten in the area with a bit more seasoning than others. When translated to english directly it is Beef Hot Pot, however it is also what people will refer to as a Beef Stew of sorts with varying thickness. But in Niigata it is the thickness similar to demi-glaze sauce when it is still liquidy is when its a "Gyunabe" and when it keeps its form it is referred to as a "Beef Stew". 

Origins: It's Spezzatino origins comes from a simple Rustic Italian stew made from a mixture of onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. The dish traditionally uses veal, beef, lamb, or pork, but as many things it has changed with variants made from local produce and meats that are available. This can be traced when asking about the oldest of recipes being like a thick-stew in appearance that is from a thickened-braising liquid. It would be from Pietro Migliore who had a standout dish to Niigata-ken that would be slow-braised beef stew that was eaten as a hot pot dish and is credited from being loosely based on Spezzatino di Manzo. The technique comes from using bones and ribs for the meat-broth base and wine to deepen the flavor, but sake could also be used as a substitute. 

Variations: Pietro Migliore's had worked his menu until it was well liked by the locals of the area. The menu consisted of: beef steak, beef hot pot, curry rice, hashed rice, grape wine, cider, coffee, scrambled eggs, steak, and ice cream. While many of the menu items have become standard in Japanese Yoshoku Cuisine there are the restaurants and recipes that have the flavors of Niigata and knowing that gives them a different experience of Niigata Cuisine. For example there are variants that are made from Niigata-ken who have moved, but make the dish on occasion: (1.) a prior Tsunan resident prepareds a variant that uses beef, celery, onions, and snow carrots (yukishita ninjin) for extra fruity flavor, (2.) a student from Minami-uonuma uses mountain vegetables and dry rice sake, (3.) where a tokyo resident from murakami uses aged-pork.

Gyunabe: Matsutaro worked at the famous Italiaken under Pietro Migliore and would work there from the age of 12 as a cook for 13 years 1912 (Meiji 45) and then founded 1923 (Taisho 12) Piaken Restaurant ピーア軒. When Migliore found out that Matsutaro's family was in the pear business, he gave him a nickname "Pia" means "pear" in Italian with affection, which became the name of the restaurant. Located in Hakusanura, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, the restaurant is providing "flavors" that have been cultivated over nearly 100 years of history, and "services" that adapted to the times. While the flavors have slowly changed there are people who really into food history who are curious about the old recipe book of Piaken.

Miso Gyunabe: There are no recipes of those times of its first creation, however the revival of flavors can be found in Italy and modernized with local ingredients and variations. The head chef of Kappo Hotaru restaurant 割烹ほたる had added Echigo Toyoura beef 越後豊浦牛 marinated in sweet koji overnight, mixed with Niigata miso demi-glace sauce to honor “Niigata Gyunabe”. With more people enjoying the taste of Niigata Gyunabe it has sparked an interest in what refer to as another style "Miso Gyunabe" that has been inspired by Kappo Hotaru taking the lead. It has gotten people interested in Niigata miso, different sorts of demi-glaze, and sweet koji marinades as it peaks the interest of nabe fans around Japan.