To me, gyudon (Japanese beef bowl) embodies all the characteristics of comfort food. A fresh cut of meat cooked in a hot umami broth, served on top of a warm bed of rice, and topped with a perfectly cooked egg. It really doesn’t get any better than that.
The first time I ever had gyudon was half a year ago and I only got it because I was sick and it was the only appealing option. Little did I know, this dish would become and obsession of mine and it lasted 7 days. In addition to the amazing flavors in this dish, it is also extremely easy to make.
Important ingredients for the perfect Gyudon
Sliced Beef: One of the most important parts of Gyudon is the thinly sliced beef. I usually buy mine from the Asian grocery store already pre-sliced. I highly recommend buying sliced ribeye, because it has the best flavor and marbling. Alternatively, if you have a steak laying around, you can pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes and thinly slice with a knife.
Dashi Broth: Dashi broth is a rich umami broth that can be homemade or bought from the store in the form of powder. I take the lazy way out and buy a product called hondashi which is dashi powder I dissolve into hot water.
Garnishes: A few of my favorite garnishes for gyudon are an egg, pickled ginger, and green onions. In the video, I made an onsen egg, but feel free to cook your egg however you would like. The pickled ginger gives a tangy and refreshing flavor that balances the dish out perfectly.
Gyudon (Japanese Beef Bowl)
Ingredients
- 1 lbs sliced beef (ribeye recommended)
- 1½ yellow onion (sliced)
- 1½ tbsp ginger (sliced)
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup mirin
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ¾ tsp dashi powder
Instructions
- Prepare onions and ginger by slicing thinly and setting aside.
- Heat up a wok or pan over medium-high heat with oil then cook onions and ginger for 3 minutes.
- Add water, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and dashi powder and allow it to come up to a boil.
- Once the stock is boiling, add your sliced beef and continue to boil until beef is cooked through.
- Serve on rice, topped with an egg, green onions, and pickled ginger.
If you enjoyed this dish check out some similar recipes here:
