Editor’s note: The theme of Gohan Lab is to help people make simple, tasty “gohan” (meals).

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This week, we will turn corned beef into a filling of boiled gyoza dumplings. The combination may come as a surprise, but it will become a refreshing dish for the summer with the aid of salt-rubbed cucumber and "myoga" ginger.

The umami-rich corned beef and the smooth wrapper make for an original match.
Corned means salt-cured, and the main part of beef used for the process is the lean shoulder, according to Kawasho Foods Corp., which markets Nozaki's Corned Beef.

After it is salt-cured, the meat is simmered, loosened and combined with ground meat, culinary fat, salt and seasonings.

"Since corned beef is already cooked, the boiling time of gyoza can be kept short," said Katsuhiko Yoshida, the chef who oversaw the cooking aspect of the recipe. "This is a reason the dish suits the hot summer."

To keep the wrappers from sticking to each other after boiling, it is best to mix in a small amount of sesame oil on the plate or pour the sauce on them right away.

CONTAINER UNDERWENT RENEWAL

When we think of corned beef, the key opener comes to mind. The trapezoidal "makura kan" (pillow-shaped can) opened by reeling in the strip from the side of the can has been popular but the container material is changing nowadays.
The first domestically produced Nozaki's Corned Beef redid the container in March this year due to the deterioration of the production equipment of the pillow-shaped can. The new container (see photo) is made of aluminum foil and resin film pasted together.

It is opened by peeling off the seal-like lid. Since there is no concern for the smell of the can to transfer to the content, the freshness date was extended for six months.

BASIC COOKING METHOD

(Supervised by Katsuhiko Yoshida in the cooking aspect and Midori Kasai in the cookery science aspect)

* Ingredients (Serves two)

80 grams corned beef, 1/2 cucumber, 1 myoga, 12 gyoza wrappers, 1/2 pack "kaiware" daikon radish sprout, 1 piece (half the size of thumb) ginger, 1 Tbsp sake, sesame oil, 2 tsp katakuriko starch, a pinch of salt, 1 Tbsp vinegar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce

About 255 kcal and 2.3 grams salt per portion

1. Finely chop cucumber and myoga. Place in bowl and mix with salt. Cut ginger into fine strips. Cut off root of daikon sprouts, place both in bowl and immerse in water. Make sauce by mixing 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil, vinegar and soy sauce.

2. Empty corned beef in bowl, add 1 tsp sesame oil and sake and loosen with hand. Squeeze out water from cucumber and myoga, add to bowl and mix. Add katakuriko starch and mix thoroughly. (PHOTO A).

3. Divide filling into 12 equal portions, place each in center of wrapper. Wet rim in a circle, fold in half and stick together. Make a fold in the middle. (PHOTO B).

4. Bring water to a boil in deep pot. Add dumplings. When they float up after 1 to 2 minutes (PHOTO C), remove on plate. Pour sauce on gyoza. Drain ginger and daikon sprout and place on gyoza.

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Katsuhiko Yoshida is the owner chef of Jeeten, a restaurant in Tokyo's Yoyogi Uehara offering Chinese home cooking.
Midori Kasai is a professor at Ochanomizu University and chairwoman of the Japan Society of Cookery Science.

ARRANGED VERSION

Corned beef mixed with okra

Rub salt on a pack of okra, boil, remove and immerse in ice water. When cold, pat dry, cut off calyx and cut each in half at an angle. Cut 1/4 green onion ("naganegi" type) lengthwise in half and finely slice at an angle. Shave off kernel of 1/4 boiled corn. Place 80 grams of corned beef in bowl, loosen with hand and add okra, corn and drained green onion. Add 2 Tbsp each of vinegar and soy sauce, 1 Tbsp of sesame oil, 1/2 tsp of chili oil ("rayu") and mix.

COOKERY SCIENCE

Canned foods have a long shelf life even without the use of preservatives since they undergo deaeration (removal of air), sealing, and heat sterilization after the food is packed. The cans are sealed to prevent microbes from entering and then heat sterilized to retain the microbe-free environment inside. The aim of deaeration is to prevent the can from losing its shape when sterilizing and to keep the food from deteriorating while being stored.