Meat Doria (Rice Gratin)

Instructions

1. 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 yields 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.
2. Finely chop ½ onion, 1 rib celery, and 1 carrot. Slice 6 mushrooms. Mince some fresh parsley and set aside for garnish.
3. Heat a large skillet on medium high. Then, add 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Add 1 bay leaf and cook until fragrant. Then, add the onion and celery and sauté until soft.
4. Add the mushrooms and carrots and cook until soft.
5. Add 12 oz ground beef and pork combination and 4 Tbsp red wine. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat.
6. When the meat is almost cooked, add 1 can diced tomatoes with their juice and ½ tsp sugar. Then, add just enough of the 3–4 cups vegetable stock/broth to cover the ingredients. Don't add too much stock; you will need to reduce the cooking liquid until it's almost evaporated.
7. Add 3 Tbsp ketchup and 3 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce. Bring it to a boil.
8. Use a fine-mesh skimmer to skim off the excess fat and foam from the cooking liquid.
9. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer (without a lid) until most of the liquid evaporates. It's done cooking if you can see the bottom of the skillet when you draw a line through the sauce with your spatula.
10. Add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter and season with Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaf.
11. Butter the baking dish(ice). Add 4 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice (hot) in an even layer.
12. Pour the meat sauce on top of the rice. Then, sprinkle ¾–1 cup Mozzarella cheese (grated) on top, followed by ¾–1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese (grated) and finally 2–3 Tbsp panko (Japanese breadcrumbs).
13. 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 the chopped parsley and serve.
14. 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.