Similar to gratin, Doria is the savory meat sauce over steamed rice, covered with melted cheese, and baked in the oven. This Yoshoku (Japanese Western meal) is a comfort dish from childhood for many Japanese.
Brrr… it’s really cold in San Francisco and we might see its first snowfall tonight in more than 30 years! It’s a perfect day to enjoy some oven-baked food for cold days like these. Today I want to share Meat Doria (Rice Gratin) recipe.
What is Doria? In Japan, we call rice gratins “doria.” We saute vegetables and meat in white sauce or tomato sauce, pour over the steamed rice, and then bake it in an oven or oven toaster. Gratins and dorias are my favorite comfort dish from childhood and also my children’s favorite. Stay warm!
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Meat Doria (Rice Gratin)
Ingredients
- 4 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice (about 4 cups, 600 g)
For the Meat Mixture
- ½ onion
- 1 rib celery
- 1 carrot
- 6 mushrooms
- 12 oz ground beef and pork combination (preferably 70% beef and 30% pork)
- 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz, 411 g)
- 3–4 cups vegetable stock/broth (or chicken stock; you need just enough to cover the ingredients, not ALL 4 cups in the recipe)
For the Seasonings
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 Tbsp red wine
- ½ tsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp ketchup
- 3 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce (or Worcestershire sauce)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For the Toppings
- ¾–1 cup Mozzarella cheese
- ¾–1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese
- 2–3 Tbsp panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- parsley (fresh, to garnish)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Start cooking the rice. Please note that 1½ cups (300 g, 2 rice cooker cups) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked white rice, enough for 4 servings. See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
- Finely chop ½ onion, 1 rib celery, 1 carrot, and parsley. Set aside the parsley for garnish. Slice 6 mushrooms.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil on medium high and cook 1 bay leaf until fragrant. Then sauté the onion and the celery until soft.
- Add the mushroom and carrot and cook until soft.
- Add 12 oz ground beef and pork combination and 4 Tbsp red wine. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat.
- When the meat is almost cooked, add 1 can diced tomatoes with their juice and ½ tsp sugar. Then, add 3–4 cups vegetable stock/broth just enough until all the ingredients are covered. (Don‘t put too much; you will need to reduce the cooking liquid until it‘s almost evaporated).
- Add 3 Tbsp ketchup and 3 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce and bring it to a boil.
- Skim to remove the excess fat from the soup.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer (without a lid) until most of the liquid is evaporated. When you move the meat sauce and see the bottom of the skillet, it’s done cooking.
- Add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter and season with Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Butter the baking dish(es) and add 4 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice.
- Pour the meat sauce on top of the rice. Then, sprinkle ¾–1 cup Mozzarella cheese, ¾–1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese, and 2–3 Tbsp panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) on top.
- Set the oven setting to broil on High. Broil for 2–3 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted and turns a golden color. Garnish with parsley and serve.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: Pictures and recipe updated in September 2012.
I found this recipe after someone gifted me a personal casserole dish and I was searching for something to cook in it. I’ve made this twice so far and both times enjoyed it so much that I’m always looking forward to the next time I make it! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Peanut! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the Meat Doria!
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback.😍
Hi, Is it possible to use mince lamb/mutton instead of beef or pork in the recipes which require ground meat such as this one?
Hi aditya! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
We have never tried this recipe with minced lamb but it should work well.
Please let us know how it goes if you try it!😉
Hi Nami and team, I noticed the meat sauce here is quite similar to that of your meat sauce spaghetti recipe. I really enjoyed that and look forward to giving this a go!
Hi Ying! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s posts and trying her recipes!
We hope you enjoy this Meat Doria recipe too.😊
Oh my word! I just made this today. I made it early and planned to have it for dinner. Of course, I needed to taste it, then hubby needed to taste it…….. so we had an early dinner! It is so delicious. Because I am on a low FODMAP diet I prepare sautéed veggies ahead of time to use with dishes like this. I can’t eat onion but am able to use the green tops of the leeks. My sauté mix includes, chopped green leek tops, carrots, celery and green peppers sautéed in garlic infused olive oil. Added some oyster mushrooms and everything else was following the recipe. So yummy, why haven’t I been cooking this all my life?????? lol
Hi Marge! We couldn’t be happier to hear how much joy and excitement Nami’s recipe has brought to you!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and sharing your story with us.☺️
This was so good! Thank you for this recipe. My whole family loved it. This is definitely going to be a frequent dish. I didn’t have red wine so just added more chicken broth. Easy and delicious.
Hi Joyce, Yay! We are happy to hear your whole family loved it! Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!
Hello Nami!
I love your recipes!!! I return to justonecookbook again and again for inspiration. I made this Meat Doria last night and it was a HUGE hit! Perfect for my 4 year old’s taste buds, but also for the grownups too! I liken it to chili con carne with rice. Despite the rather hefty number of ingredients, making this dish was surprisingly easy. I found I only needed two cups of broth; I simmered for about thirty minutes before most of the liquid had evaporated. I also replaced one tablespoon of ketchup with tomato paste. This will be yet another justonecookbook I’ll return to in the future. Thank you for all your generosity in sharing these wonderful homestyle, Yoshoku Japanese recipes. They are an absolute delight.
Hi Katie, We are glad to hear you enjoyed this Yoshoku, Meat Doria! Thank you very much for trying this recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us.🙂
Thank you so much for sharing!
What do you recommend for a good substitute for the red wine in this dish?
Thank you!
Hi Bianca, Thank you very much for trying this recipe! For this recipe, you can skip the red wine.😉