How to Make Authentic Gyudon: A Step-by-Step Guide
4
servings10
minutes30
minutes598
kcalJapanese Gyudon features thinly sliced fatty beef cooked in a mildly sweet blend of mirin and soy sauce, served atop rice, often accompanied by a fried egg!
Ingredients
Neutral oil(like vegetable or canola oil)
2 medium onions (sliced very thinly)
1 pound very thinly sliced beef (fatty beef chuck or ribeye)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup dashi stock (can also substitute beef or chicken stock)
4 eggs
4 cups cooked white rice (short grain or medium grain preferred)
1 scallion (chopped)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Directions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add thinly sliced onions. Cook for roughly 10 minutes, making sure to stir periodically.
- Introduce the beef and sugar, and cook until the beef turns a slight brown color. Incorporate mirin, soy sauce, and dashi stock. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes to create a thin sauce. Adjust the seasoning as needed, and consider adding a bit more soy sauce if desired.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pan or non-stick skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil. Fry the eggs sunny-side-up. You can cook them in batches if necessary, ensuring that the egg yolks remain runny.
- Once the beef is tender, divide the cooked rice among 4 bowls. Top each with the beef and a fried egg. Garnish with finely chopped scallions and, if you like, some toasted sesame seeds.
Recipe: How to Make Japanese Beef Rice Bowl (Gyudon)
Japanese Beef Rice Bowl, known as Gyudon, features thinly sliced fatty beef cooked in a slightly sweet mixture of mirin and soy sauce, served over rice. Topped with a runny egg, Gyudon is an absolute delight!
Now, living in the New York City area, one of the things I fondly remember from my two years in Beijing is lunchtime.
Every weekday at noon, there would be a mass exodus from office buildings all across the city as coworkers ventured out for lunch. Lucky for me, I worked in an area of the city with a plethora of dining options and incredible diversity. I’d have hand-pulled noodles at a hole-in-the-wall spot on Mondays and hot pot at a Yunnan restaurant on Tuesdays.
Each week would be different – my coworkers and I would plan our lunch outings in advance, sometimes even a few days ahead (that was entirely normal behavior in Beijing, I’d come to learn). There were even some fantastic non-Asian options, like a place in Israel that served some of the best falafel I’ve ever tasted.
However, one of my all-time favorite lunch options was a Japanese spot serving the dish we’re talking about today: Japanese Beef Rice Bowl, or Gyudon.
Japanese Beef Rice Bowl, Gyudon, is essentially a dish of thinly sliced fatty beef, simmered in a slightly sweet mixture of mirin and soy sauce and served over rice. Sake is sometimes added to enhance the flavors. Where I went in Beijing, it would be served piping hot with a raw egg yolk on top.
