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Garlic Rice

An unbelievably delicious recipe for basic garlic rice that's easy to make at home. Learn all the secrets, from preparing the garlic and cooking the beef to mixing it with rice, all explained with loving detail for the best results.

📖Cooking Basics

dry（tantanmen）

Steps

Finely chop 1/2 bunch of scallions. (Key Tip!) Cut them with a decisive slicing motion, as if severing them cleanly, to avoid crushing the fibers.
🕒 00:14
Peel 2 cloves of garlic and slice them thinly. Remove the germ if present and soak in water. (Key Tip!) For garlic chips, peel without crushing and slice thinly for a good appearance and crispy texture. Removing the germ, if time permits, prevents burning and bitterness. Soaking in water removes sugars, resulting in clean, non-sticky chips when fried.
🕒 00:57
Finely mince the remaining 2 cloves of garlic. Remove the germ with a toothpick or similar tool. (Key Tip!) You can chop them like an onion or slice thinly first, then mince. Choose whichever method is easier for you.
🕒 01:45
Cut 100g of beef slices into bite-sized pieces.
🕒 02:40
Drain the soaked sliced garlic well in a colander and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. (Key Tip!) Incomplete drying will prevent them from frying properly.
🕒 03:01
Add a generous amount of oil to a frying pan, enough to submerge the sliced garlic.
🕒 03:21
Heat over very low heat and fry the garlic slowly, allowing its moisture to evaporate. (Key Tip!) The goal is not to brown the garlic, but to dry it out and make it crispy by evaporating its natural moisture. Cooking slowly at a low temperature yields delicious garlic chips.
🕒 03:38
Remove garlic slices as they begin to lightly color. (Key Tip!) Over-frying will result in bitterness, so remove them promptly as soon as they show a slight color.
🕒 03:58
Heat the frying pan over medium-low heat, add a small amount of garlic oil, and add the cut 100g of beef.
🕒 04:28
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, spread the beef quickly, and sear until browned. (Key Tip!) It's okay if the inside is still pink. The idea is to get a good sear to bring out the sweetness.
🕒 04:42
Temporarily remove the seared beef from the pan.
🕒 04:58
Lightly wipe the frying pan with paper towels to remove any burnt bits.
🕒 05:00
Add 1 tbsp of garlic oil and 10g of butter to the frying pan, and heat over very low heat.
🕒 05:08
Before the butter completely melts, add the minced garlic and start heating it in the cold oil. (Key Tip!) Adding garlic to cold oil allows its fragrance to be released slowly and thoroughly.
🕒 05:23
Tilt the pan to coat the garlic with oil while heating. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and lightly colored.
🕒 05:32
Add 400g of rice, 1 tsp of mirin (sweet rice wine), and 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar. Use a spatula to mash and mix the rice, coating each grain with oil. (Key Tip!) Mashing the rice helps to break it up thoroughly and allows the oil to coat each grain individually.
🕒 05:50
Increase the heat slightly to low, add 3 pinches of salt and a pinch of MSG (umami seasoning), and mix well.
🕒 06:22
Add the reserved beef and black pepper, and toss briefly. (Key Tip!) Using a bit more black pepper than you might expect makes it tastier.
🕒 06:49
Add the finely chopped scallions and toss lightly.
🕒 07:02
Gather the rice in the center of the pan, pour 1-2 tsp of soy sauce around the edges of the pan, and stir everything together once a fragrant aroma develops. Taste and adjust seasoning. (Key Tip!) Pouring the soy sauce around the pan's edge instead of directly onto the rice enhances its aroma and flavor.
🕒 07:13