Beef Biltong Poke Bowl with Sushi Rice
South African-inspired poke bowl featuring sliced biltong atop seasoned sushi rice with fresh vegetables, avocado, mango, and edamame. A savory-sweet combination with sesame oil and mirin-based poke sauce, topped with sesame seeds and optional sriracha heat.
Ingredients
- 2 cup sushi rice
- 2 ½ cup water
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp ginger, freshly grated
- ½ tsp garlic, freshly minced
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 ½ tbsp sesame oilneutral oil plus toasted sesame seeds0.8:1 oil plus garnishoilsesame
reduces sesame flavor intensity
Full guide → - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp mirinhon-mirin or aji-mirin1:1sweetenerjapanese
substitute confidence limited by specific mirin type in source
Full guide → - ½ tsp lime juice
- 2 ½ tsp sriracha(optional)
- 3 oz beef biltong, slicedsliced beef sirloin or flank steak1:1beefprotein
raw or briefly seared; removes traditional South African character
- 1 avocado
- 6 red radishes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 carrot, large
- 1 cup edamame beans
- 1 cup corn
- 2 green onion
- 2 mango, Philippine, small
- sesame seeds, black or white
- 1 chilli, small, finely chopped(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Cook rice with water in a saucepan or rice cooker.
- 2
While rice cooks, prepare sushi seasoning by mixing rice vinegar, sugar, salt, ginger, garlic, and maple syrup until sugar dissolves.
- 3
Spread cooked rice evenly in a pan.
- 4
Mix half the seasoning into the rice.
- 5
Cool rice to room temperature, then drizzle remaining seasoning over top and mix.
- 6
Combine poke sauce ingredients (soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, mirin, lime juice, and sriracha if using) in a bowl.
- 7
Add biltong to poke sauce.
- 8
Chop or slice avocado, radishes, cucumber, carrot, mangoes, and green onions.
- 9
Divide seasoned rice among bowls.
- 10
Top rice with vegetables, mangoes, and edamame, reserving green onions.
- 11
Place biltong and sauce on top of vegetables.
- 12
Garnish with green onions, chilli if using, and sesame seeds.
- 13
Serve immediately.
Tips
Cool rice fully before adding final seasoning to prevent vinegar evaporation and achieve proper flavor absorption.
Marinate biltong in poke sauce for 5-10 minutes before serving for deeper flavor development.
Good to Know
Refrigerate assembled bowls in airtight containers for up to 24 hours. Store marinated biltong separately to prevent rice sogginess.
Prepare sushi rice and poke sauce up to 1 day ahead. Chop vegetables and store separately (avocado same-day only). Assemble bowls within 2 hours of serving.
Serve chilled or at room temperature. Accompany with additional sriracha and lime wedges.
Common Mistakes
Do not oversoak rice in seasoning to avoid mushy texture; add in two stages as directed.
Do not assemble bowls more than 2 hours before serving to prevent rice from absorbing excess moisture from vegetables.
Substitutions
raw or briefly seared; removes traditional South African character
substitute confidence limited by specific mirin type in source
Full guide →reduces sesame flavor intensity
Full guide →