This 5-Ingredient Ground Beef Dinner Might Be the Best Thing I’ve Ever Made

1. Ground Beef: Use any kind you prefer. 80% or 70% lean ground beef will be fattier and release more liquid as it cooks. It’s not necessary to drain as it’ll just become part of the sauce. 90% lean ground beef will yield a drier final dish, which my family prefers.

If you want a leaner cut and more sauce, stir in 1/4 cup water or any kind of stock at the end. You may need to adjust the seasoning with more soy sauce and agave.

2. Soy Sauce: If you only have full-sodium soy sauce, don’t salt the ground beef. Right before serving, add salt to taste only if needed.

3. Grated Ginger and Garlic: I’m a super fan of Microplanes—handheld graters that I use every day for grating fresh chiles, cheese, lemons, and the ginger and garlic for this recipe. I own two sizes: a zester and a coarse grater, as shown below.

I keep whole ginger in the freezer and grate just what I need for cooking. Frozen ginger is easier and safer to grate than fresh because the fibers don’t get stuck on the blades. You don’t need to peel the ginger and can grate it right over the wok.

The Shortcut Rice I Keep Stocked in My Pantry

Have you ever skipped a recipe because cooking rice for it feels like a chore? I have, even though I grew up eating rice three times a day and I can make it with my eyes closed.

Whenever making rice from scratch feels like a hassle, I reach for Hetbahn, a microwaveable instant rice and ubiquitous pantry staple for rice-loving Koreans worldwide.

Costco sells Bibigo Hetbahn, a popular brand of cooked white sticky rice. The rice comes portioned in single-serving bowls, and when microwaved for just 90 seconds, it’s delicious, just like freshly cooked rice. After all, the slogan for Hetbahn is “rice that tastes better than rice.” I keep it stocked in my pantry at all times.