Gyudon

Japanese beef, ginger and onion over rice.

Gyudon

A bowl of gyudon takes me back to the days when I lived in Japan and would have late nights with friends, dancing and having one too many drinks! There’s a famous chain called Yoshinoya that’s opened 24 hour a day and serves cheap bowls of gyudon. A place where most Gaijins (foreigners) have visited more than once during their Japanese stay! A bowl of gyudon is a little sweet and salty, and full of umami. Add a sprinkle of ichimi (spicy red pepper flakes) and you’ve got yourself a dish that’s reasonably complex in flavor! In my recipe I’ve added fresh ginger as I’ve noticed many people not being so keen on the pickled version, and mushrooms to make it healthier. I now make this at home on a regular basis, and ladies; this is food that men LOVE! Very easy to make if you have the usual ingredients found in most Japanese dishes.
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Gyudon (Japanese beef bowl)

japanese beef bowl
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 people 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: Japanese, Rice
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 pound beef (thinly sliced)
  • 2 small onions (thinly sliced)
  • 1 thumb size ginger (peeled and sliced into thin strips)
  • 8–10 mushrooms (sliced into strips)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 cups dashi broth
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce (plus an additional 2 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 cup mirin
  • 1 teaspoon sake (optional)

Instructions

  1. Put beef in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes (this makes it easier to slice).
  2. In a large deep pan, turn the heat to medium high and add oil and ginger strips. After one minute, add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they are translucent. Add mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Add the dashi broth, soy sauce, sugar, mirin and sake, and bring to a boil.
  3. Take beef out and with a knife, slice the beef as thinly as you can against the grain. Add to the pan, lower the heat a little and cook for about 10 minutes.
  4. You will be left with quite a bit of sauce/soup. This is going to be very strong in flavor so only use a teeny bit to drizzle on top.
  5. This is best served over a bowl of Japanese rice and seasoned with Ichimi or Shichimi (both are red pepper flakes).

Nutrition

  • Calories: 445
  • Saturated Fat: 5
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