3 Japanese Recipes Using Nippon Ham Frozen Beef at Home in Ho Chi Minh City

Living in Ho Chi Minh City, you may find yourself missing the sweet aroma of sukiyaki simmering on the stove, the savory smell of yakiniku sauce coating a bowl of rice, or the comforting warmth of nikujaga on a weeknight. The question is: can you really recreate those meals here?

Farmi carries Nippon Ham frozen beef produced at NH Foods Vietnam's own facility in Long An Province under FSSC 22000 and HACCP certification. This article shares 3 recipes using Short Plate (thinly sliced brisket / 200g / 65,000 VND) and Chuck Flap (thick-cut chuck / 350g / 159,000 VND).

Yakiniku-don: Short Plate Over Rice

Short Plate has generous marbling that caramelizes quickly over high heat, giving you a charred exterior while keeping the inside tender. It is the ideal cut for yakiniku-don.

• Ingredients (serves 2): Short Plate 200g, 2 bowls of cooked rice, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, white sesame seeds and spring onion to garnish
• Method: Thaw beef, pat very dry. Mix soy sauce, mirin and sugar into a sauce. Heat pan over medium-high, add sesame oil, lay beef flat. Allow color to form before turning. Pour in sauce, toss to coat and remove from heat. Serve over rice topped with sesame and spring onion.
• Key tip: Patting the beef dry after thawing is essential, any moisture dilutes the sauce and prevents browning.

Sukiyaki: Chuck Flap in Warishita Broth

Chuck Flap has a well-balanced fat distribution that releases deep flavor when slowly simmered in warishita. Its thickness makes for a satisfying, hearty hot pot.

• Ingredients (serves 2): Chuck Flap 350g, 1 block firm tofu, 1 leek, 1 pack konnyaku noodles (available at Asian supermarkets in HCMC), warishita (3 tbsp each soy sauce / mirin / sake + 1 tbsp sugar dissolved in 100ml water), 2 eggs for dipping
• Method: Thaw Chuck Flap in the fridge for at least 6 hours. Slice tofu, cut leek diagonally. Heat pan over medium, brown beef briefly in beef fat or a little oil. Pour in warishita, add remaining ingredients and simmer until cooked through. Serve with raw egg for dipping.
• Key tip: A cast iron pan retains heat well in HCMC's heat. Making the warishita slightly sweeter helps bring out the flavor of the chuck.

Nikujaga: Homestyle Simmered Beef and Potatoes

Either cut works for nikujaga, but Chuck Flap rewards a longer simmer with deeper flavor, and tastes even better the next day.

• Ingredients (serves 2-3): Chuck Flap 350g, 3 potatoes (May Queen variety holds shape well), 1 onion, 1 carrot, snow peas to garnish, 3 tbsp each soy sauce / mirin / sugar (adjust), 300ml dashi stock
• Method: Thaw and cut beef. Brown in oil, set aside. Sauté onion until translucent, add potato and carrot, stir to coat. Add dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Return beef, cover with a drop lid (otoshibuta) and simmer 15-20 minutes. Add snow peas at the end.
• Key tip: In HCMC's heat, turn off the stove a little early and let residual heat finish the cooking, this prevents over-simmering.

Which Cut for Which Dish?

• Yakiniku-don, grilled beef: Short Plate (200g), high fat, browns fast over high heat
• Sukiyaki: Chuck Flap (350g), balanced marbling, releases umami in broth
• Nikujaga, braised dishes: Chuck Flap (350g), gets better with longer simmering
• Gyudon, shabu-shabu: Short Plate (200g), thin slices cook quickly and evenly

Seasonings to Have Ready: Available on Farmi

The right seasonings make all the difference in sukiyaki and yakiniku-don. Familiar Japanese brands are available in the Farmi app.

• Kikkoman soy sauce (all-purpose staple)
• Real mirin (essential for warishita and teriyaki glaze)
• Granulated dashi (a must for nikujaga)
• Bottled yakiniku sauce (great for quick weeknight cooking)

Summary

Nippon Ham frozen beef is manufactured at NH Foods Vietnam's Long An facility under FSSC 22000 and HACCP standards, giving you confidence in its quality and safety. Short Plate suits high-heat cooking; Chuck Flap shines in slow simmers. Match the cut to the dish and your HCMC dinner table can taste just like home.

Open the Farmi app to browse Nippon Ham frozen beef. Delivered to your door in HCMC within 1 hour.

Note: This article and some images were created with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team before publication.