User Friendly Onigiri Food

YAKI ONIGIRI

Steps:

• Use 1 cup of hot (or warm) cooked Japanese short grain rice per serving. Add the rice to a small bowl (like a cereal bowl) just big enough to hold it. Jiggle the bowl, moving it in a flat, circular motion, like the motion of a hula hoop, until the rice forms into a ball on its own-a neat kitchen trick Tadashi's mom taught him. This motion packs the rice so it holds together when it grills.
• Wet your hands and place the ball of rice between your cupped palms. Now squeeze, flip, and turn the rice ball several times to form it into a triangular shape. This motion takes a little practice, but after a few yaki onigiri, you'll get the hang of it. Make sure not to compact the rice too tight; you want it to just stick together.
• Grill yaki onigiri over medium heat. If the fire's too hot, the rice will burn. We like to place the yaki onigiri along the cooler edges of a grill while other foods cook in the hotter center. Watch the rice carefully while it grills; perfect yaki onigiri need constant attention.
• How to Cook Japanese Rice
• There are two basic ways to prepare Japanese rice: rice cooker or stovetop. If you have an electronic rice cooker, wash and rest the rice as we describe below, then follow cooker instructions. To prepare rice on the stovetop, an enameled cast-iron or cast-iron pot works best because these heavy pots do such a great job distributing heat.
• Makes 4 cups of rice 2 cups Japanese short-grain white rice 2 cups water
• Wash the rice to remove surface starch by placing the rice in a bowl, filling it with water, and swirling the rice with your hand. Drain off the milky liquid. Repeat 3 or 4 times until the water becomes clear enough to see the rice. Wash quickly; the entire process should take no longer than 3 minutes (soaking the rice in the washing water too long can cloud its flavor). Strain the rice into a colander, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rest for 15 minutes, so the grains naturally rehydrate, which helps them cook evenly.
• Add the rice and 2 cups of water to a pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium and cook 10 minutes, until you smell a beautiful rice aroma in the steam escaping from the pot. Be careful not to overcook, or you'll burn the rice. Turn off the heat and let the covered pot sit for 10 minutes, a critical step that completes the cooking process. Uncover the pot, gently stir the rice with a large spoon to fluff it up, and it's ready.

USER FRIENDLY ONIGIRI

Steps:

• Combine beef, crackers, and 1 T. of the dressing in a bowl. Heat remaining dressing in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
• Roll the meat mixture into little meatballs, 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter.
• Cook meatballs in skillet for 8 minutes, turning occasionally.
• Drain any extra fat off. Add beef stock, and simmer uncovered on low for 5 minutes.
• When meatballs are done, put them in a bowl and pour the sauce over them. Refrigerate while you cook and season the rice.
• When you are ready to roll, have meatballs, rice, a bowl of salty water to dip your hands in to keep the rice from sticking, and a plate for the finished rice balls in front of you.
• Take about 1/4 cup of rice in your hand and shape it into a flat rectangular shape.
• Place a meatball on top of the rice, and then wrap the rice around it.
• Pat the rice into place, and then gently squeeze the ball together, not compressing the rice, just getting extra air and moisture out so the rice sticks to the meatball.
• Repeat about 19 times. This took me a while, but I imagine you can get faster with practice. (I include the time for cooking the sushi rice in the cook time).