Japanese Beef Rice Bowl (Gyudon)
A comforting Japanese classic featuring tender, thinly sliced beef and sweet onion simmered in a savoury broth, served over fluffy rice. Quick to prepare, this dish is the perfect weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
beef350 gthinly sliced against the grain
- Sstock120 ml
Vegetable or Dashi stock
- Ssake60 ml
Or Mirin
soy sauce2 tbsp
caster sugar10 g
onion0.5 wholemedium, sliced thickly
- Sshort-grain rice400 g
for serving
spring onion1 wholeoptional, finely sliced for garnish
egg yolk1 wholeraw, optional for garnish
pickled gingers4 tbspoptional, Beni shoga
sesame seed1 tspoptional, for garnish
shichimi togarashi1 pinchoptional, Japanese seven spice
ginger5 goptional, minced
Instructions
Chef's Tips
To achieve the traditional thin slices of beef required for Gyudon, partially freeze the meat for about 15 minutes before slicing. This makes cutting against the grain much easier.
If you do not have sake or mirin, you can substitute with dry sherry or white wine, adding a small amount of extra sugar to balance the flavour.
Prepare the Ingredients
If the beef is not already thinly sliced, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up, then slice it very thinly against the grain. Slice the half onion into thick julienne strips. If using spring onion for garnish, slice it finely and place it in a bowl of cold water to curl.
Create the Broth
In a large frying pan or shallow pot, combine the stock, sake (or mirin), soy sauce, and caster sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Simmer the Onion
Add the sliced onion to the boiling broth. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes until the onion begins to soften and become translucent.
Cook the Beef
Add the thinly sliced beef to the pan. Cook for approximately 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fully cooked and the liquid has reduced slightly, creating a rich sauce. If using, stir in the minced fresh ginger during the last minute of cooking.
Assemble the Gyudon
Place a generous portion of cooked rice into two serving bowls. Top the rice with the beef and onion mixture, ensuring some of the sauce is spooned over the rice. Garnish with the optional toppings: a raw egg yolk placed in the centre, pickled ginger, sesame seeds, and a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi and sliced spring onion.
