Ground Meat and Burdock Kinpira

Lightly rinse 1 burdock root under water to remove the dirt. If it still has soil on it, fold a piece of aluminum foil into a thick pad and scrub — the dirt comes off easily. If it's pre-washed burdock, a quick rinse is all you need.

Trim off the ends of the burdock and cut it in half crosswise, since it's long. Then cut it in half lengthwise and slice it thinly on the diagonal. There's no need to julienne it — rough chopping is fine.

Put the cut burdock in a bowl and soak it in water to remove the bitterness.

Add 150g of ground beef and pork blend to a frying pan over medium heat. The meat releases its own fat, so there's no need to add oil. Break it up roughly with a spatula, then leave it alone for a while to sear.

Drain the burdock and add it to the pan, stir-frying while mixing it with the ground meat. The burdock soaks up the fat from the meat and becomes delicious.

Once the burdock has softened, is coated in the oil, and turns glossy, add 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons mirin.

Add just under 1 teaspoon of vinegar if you like. It lightens up the richness of the ground meat. You can make it without.

Let it bubble away to cook off the alcohol in the mirin, and once the seasoning is well coated, turn off the heat.

Serve in a dish and sprinkle with white sesame seeds if you like.