Description
Gyudon, also known as Japanese beef bowls, is a quick and comforting dish featuring thinly sliced beef simmered in a flavorful sauce made with dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and ginger, served hot over steamed Japanese rice and garnished with scallions and pickled red ginger for an authentic taste.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 150 g thinly sliced beef
- 1/2 onion, sliced into wedges
- 3 cups cooked Japanese rice
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Toppings
- 1 tbsp red pickled ginger (for topping)
- 1 tbsp scallion, diagonally and thinly sliced (for topping)
Sauce Ingredients
- 200 ml water
- 1 tsp dashi powder
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp ginger juice
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the Onion: Slice the half onion into wedges to ensure it cooks evenly and melds well in the sauce.
- Cook the Onion: Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion wedges and cook them until they become translucent, indicating they are softened and slightly sweetened.
- Make the Sauce: Once the onions are translucent, add all the sauce ingredients — water, dashi powder, sugar, sake, mirin, ginger juice, and soy sauce — into the saucepan.
- Simmer and Add Beef: Bring the sauce mixture to a gentle simmer, then add the thinly sliced beef. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat, allowing the beef to absorb the flavors and the sauce to reduce slightly.
- Serve and Garnish: After the beef has cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, remove the pan from heat. Serve the beef and sauce over freshly cooked Japanese rice. Garnish each bowl with the thinly sliced scallions and a tablespoon of red pickled ginger for authentic flavor and color contrast.
Notes
- Use thinly sliced beef, such as ribeye or chuck, for the best texture and flavor.
- Adjust the amount of sugar and soy sauce to taste if you prefer a sweeter or saltier bowl.
- Ginger juice can be substituted with freshly grated ginger for a more robust flavor.
- If dashi powder is unavailable, substitute it with a light fish or vegetable broth for umami richness.
- This recipe serves 2 bowls but can easily be scaled up for more servings.
