What is Gyudon?
Like Oyakodon or Katsudon, Gyudon is a member of the large Japanese culinary family of Donburi. Among these, it is even a great favorite and can be found in both regular
and spicy versions. Basically, it’s very flavorful beef in a dashi-based sauce, poured over rice and topped with a soft-boiled egg.
Because I know my audience, I’m presenting the regular version here, but stay tuned for the spicy version coming soon!
Tips for Successful Gyudon
The meat should be very, very thin. Don’t worry if the meat tears a bit while cutting. Perfection is not the goal.
The egg (optional) can be either raw or poached. The variant with the raw egg is called tamago kake gohan (to impress your guests)
Regarding the dashi broth, honestly, don’t stress yourself out. Unless you’re really aiming for perfection, powdered dashi mixed with water will do the job
We add the grated ginger at the end of cooking to ensure its aroma remains intact
The Main Ingredients of Gyudon
The sake: brings an essential traditional flavor nuance
The light soy sauce: Can be replaced with tamari sauce, it brings saltiness and umami
The togarashi: it’s Japanese chili powder, substitute with any other chili powder
Beni shoga: “Purple ginger”, it’s a Japanese pickle (tsukemono) that brings a nice freshness. That said, it’s optional.
Gyudon – Japanese Beef and Rice Bowl
Matériel
- 1 Wok
Ingredients
- 250 g beef Sliced very thinly, as thin as carpaccio
- 2 portions of cooked white rice
Bouillon
- 120 g of onion thinly sliced
- 120 ml of dashi Homemade or made with powdered dashi
- 60 ml of sake
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 15 g of sugar More if needed
- 1 teaspoon of ginger Freshly grated
- Salt
Toppings
- 2 Poached eggs optional
- Green onions Sliced
- Beni-shoga
- Togarashi
Procédé
- In a medium saucepan or wok, add the onion, dashi, sake, soy sauce, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.120 g of onion, 120 ml of dashi, 60 ml of sake, 30 ml light soy sauce, 15 g of sugar, Salt
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the beef and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until the beef is cooked and the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.250 g beef
- Stir in the ginger and let simmer for 1 more minute. Adjust seasoning with salt and sugar to taste.1 teaspoon of ginger
- Divide the rice into bowls and top with the beef and sauce mixture. Garnish each bowl with a poached egg (if using), sliced green onions, beni-shoga, and togarashi. Serve immediately.2 portions of cooked white rice, 2 Poached eggs, Green onions, Beni-shoga, Togarashi
