With thinly sliced beef and tender onions simmered in a savory-sweet sauce, Gyudon or Japanese Beef Rice Bowl is synonymous with consolation. This straightforward and scrumptious dish, served over scorching steamed rice, has been a staple in Japanese delicacies for over 150 years! It’s an ideal fast meal for a busy weeknight!
Gyudon (牛丼) is a basic consolation meals that has held its place in Japanese delicacies for over 150 years. Not solely is that this hearty rice bowl very simple to place collectively, however it’s additionally well-known for being a fast, nutritious meal that by no means fails to fulfill.
Whereas each family in Japan makes gyudon slightly in another way, the core elements stay the identical: skinny slices of beef, onion, and a candy and savory sauce served over steamed rice. As we speak, I’ll present you the way I make this weeknight favourite at dwelling.
What’s Gyudon (Japanese Beef Bowl)?
Like different donburi, Gyudon, or Japanese Beef Bowl, is at all times served over a heat bowl of freshly steamed rice. “Gyu” (牛) interprets to “beef,” whereas “Don” (丼) refers to the kind of bowl it’s served in.
The gyudon that we all know and love as we speak originated from a beef scorching pot dish known as “gyunabe” (牛鍋) throughout Japan’s Meiji Period (1868-1912). Up till this level, Japanese folks had been strictly prohibited from consuming beef for each spiritual and sensible causes. Consuming meat went towards Buddhist philosophies, and consuming cattle that had been helpful for work was largely discouraged.
As soon as Western tradition arrived in Japan within the late 19th century, gyunabe—beef and onion stewed with miso paste—turned extraordinarily in style. The chef of an izakaya known as Isekuma in my hometown of Yokohama was the primary to serve gyunabe in 1862! Folks started pouring their leftover gyunabe broth over rice, and shortly eating places started to serve this as a less expensive various known as “gyumeshi” (牛飯).
Within the late 1800s, Eikichi Matsuda lastly coined the identify “gyudon.” Matsuda was the proprietor of Japan’s most well-known Tokyo-based beef bowl chain, Yoshinoya. If you wish to make gyudon identical to they do at Yoshinoya, I’ve a recipe right here.
Substances for Japanese Beef Bowl
Gyudon in Japan is a fast, tasty meal that can be budget-friendly. It was hottest amongst enterprise folks and younger, single males earlier than gaining reputation among the many normal Japanese public. The elements to make this one-pot dish at dwelling are easy.
- Thinly sliced beef: I like to recommend chuck or rib eye for this recipe. The paper-thin slices are important for reaching genuine gyudon (too thick, and your beef will probably be chewy), and you’ll usually discover packages of thin-cut beef at Japanese or Asian supermarkets. Alternatively, you’ll be able to at all times slice your individual.
- Onion: Sliced onions add sweetness to the dish and completely pair with tender beef.
- Sauce: The sauce is a harmonious mix of candy and savory, made with dashi (Japanese soup inventory), sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. It’s so easy but extremely efficient in creating sturdy taste!
- Garnish: inexperienced onions for the colour and shichimi togarashi for a spicy kick.
Learn how to Make the Greatest Gyudon
- Minimize the onion, inexperienced onions, and beef.
- With out turning on the range, place the sauce elements, sliced onions, and beef in a big frying pan. Then, activate the warmth and begin cooking.
- Serve the simmered beef and onion over steamed rice in giant bowls.
Cooking Ideas
- Thinly slice the onion so it turns into tender and sweeter shortly. When cooked, the onion imparts a pure sweetness to the dish.
- Use good high quality beef. Nicely-marbled beef is not going to turn into chewy after simmering within the sauce. I extremely advocate ribeye for gyudon. It’s additionally straightforward to thinly slice your individual meat. For well-marbled beef, it’s simpler to flash-freeze and reduce the semi-frozen meat.
- Make further dashi (Japanese soup inventory) so you should use it for gyudon and miso soup to go together with the meal. I like to recommend making dashi both from scratch or with a dashi packet.
- Cook dinner extra rice than ordinary. Rice bowl dishes (or “donburi”) usually serve extra rice per individual to go together with the meals on high. Due to this fact, put together slightly bit greater than ordinary. I at all times make 1½ rice cooker cups for 2 servings and three rice cooker cups for 4 servings.
- Don’t overcook the meat, particularly in case your meat isn’t well-marbled. You don’t need chewy meat. As quickly as the meat is not pink, cease cooking. If the meat is well-marbled, you’ll be able to let it simmer barely longer to permit the meat to soak up extra flavors from the sauce.
Widespread Gyudon Variations
1. Gyudon with eggs
In Japan, we often serve gyudon with a unique sort of eggs.
- Tsukimi Gyudon (お月見牛丼) – We place a uncooked egg yolk within the middle of the simmered beef.
- Gyudon with Onsen Tamago (温玉のせ牛丼)- We place a poached egg within the middle of the simmered beef.
- Tanindon (他人丼) or Gyutojidon (牛とじ丼) – Proper earlier than ending cooking, drizzle crushed eggs over the simmered beef and prepare dinner lined till eggs are simply set (In Japan, eggs are served barely extra runny).
For the primary two variations of gyudon, while you’re able to eat, break the yolk and blend it with the meat and onions so as to add a layer of richness to the meal.
The final possibility provides a pleasant layer of fluffy egg to the meat combination. You’ll be able to learn extra about it in my Tanindon put up.
2. Kansai Sukiyaki-Fashion Gyudon
In case you’re a long-time JOC fan, you’re accustomed to my gyudon recipe and the picture above, which I initially shared in 2011.
That is how my grandmother and mom made their gyudon. Since they’re from the Kansai space (my grandma was from Nara and moved to Osaka the place my mother was raised), they cooked gyudon like they made their Kansai-style sukiyaki. The signature of this model is to sprinkle sugar on the thinly sliced beef whereas it’s nonetheless uncooked and prepare dinner the meat first earlier than simmering it with different seasonings.
Not like the Kanto-style gyudon the place we simmer beef and onion in dashi (Japanese soup inventory), Kansai-style gyudon doesn’t at all times require dashi and is cooked with simply the seasonings; Due to this fact, the flavour is extra intense.
Since my grandmother and mom’s gyudon recipe isn’t the standard gyudon recipe that individuals usually search, I’ve determined to replace this put up with a extra commonplace gyudon recipe.
So, if you want to make my Gyudon recipe from 2011, or Kansai Sukiyaki-Fashion Gyudon, merely skip the dashi from the elements beneath, and listed below are the cooking steps:
- Stir-fry onions with a tablespoon of oil (not listed within the recipe) till tender.
- Add beef and sugar (utilizing the identical quantity as specified within the recipe) and shortly stir to mix.
- Add sake, mirin, and soy sauce (once more, utilizing the identical quantity within the recipe) and prepare dinner till the meat is not pink.
- Optionally, slowly drizzle a skinny stream of the crushed eggs over the meat (Don’t combine the egg with the meat) and add the inexperienced onions on high. Cook dinner lined on medium-low warmth till the egg is nearly set or completed to your liking (however don’t overcook it).
- Serve over steamed rice, and revel in!
What’s the Greatest Rice Cooker
To make the proper rice for gyudon, I like to make use of my Zojirushi NP-NWC10XB Rice Cooker. It makes fluffy rice each time and is the greatest Japanese rice cooker I’ve ever used! You will get it on Amazon for $458.29, and it’s properly value it in the event you prepare dinner lots of rice.
Widespread Donburi Recipes
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To Put together the Substances
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First, thinly slice ½ onion.
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Subsequent, reduce 1 inexperienced onion/scallion diagonally into skinny slices. Put aside.
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Then, take away ½ lb thinly sliced beef (chuck or ribeye) from the freezer. Minimize the semi-frozen meat into items 3 inches (7.6 cm) vast.
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In a big frying pan (don’t activate the warmth but), add ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup inventory), 2 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp sugar. Stir to mix and dissolve the sugar.
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Subsequent, add the onion slices and unfold them within the broth all through the pan, separating the onion layers.
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Then, distribute the meat on high of the onions. Separate the skinny slices of beef so the meat covers the onions.
To Cook dinner
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Cowl the pan with a lid. Now, activate the warmth to medium and begin cooking. As soon as simmering, flip down the warmth to simmer and prepare dinner, lined, for 3–4 minutes.
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Whereas simmering, open the lid and skim off the scum and fats from the broth with a fine-mesh skimmer one to 2 occasions.
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Sprinkle the inexperienced onions on high and prepare dinner lined for an additional minute. Non-compulsory: If you need so as to add crushed eggs, you are able to do it now (consult with my Tanindon recipe for detailed directions).
To Serve
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Divide 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice into giant donburi bowls. Then, drizzle a number of the pan sauce on high of the rice.
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Put the meat and onion combination on high of the rice. In case you’d like, drizzle extra remaining sauce on high. High the gyudon with pickled purple ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga). Get pleasure from!
- Stir-fry the onions with a tablespoon of oil (not listed within the above recipe) till tender.
- Add the meat, sprinkle the sugar on high, and shortly stir to mix.
- Add the sake, mirin, and soy sauce and prepare dinner till the meat is not pink.
- (Non-compulsory) Slowly drizzle a skinny stream of crushed egg over the meat; don’t combine them collectively. Add the inexperienced onions on high. Cook dinner, lined, on medium-low warmth till the egg is nearly set or completed to your liking (however don’t overcook it).
- Serve over steamed rice and revel in!
Energy: 657 kcal · Carbohydrates: 85 g · Protein: 31 g · Fats: 17 g · Saturated Fats: 7 g · Polyunsaturated Fats: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fats: 8 g · Ldl cholesterol: 69 mg · Sodium: 65 mg · Potassium: 468 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 10 g · Vitamin A: 23 IU · Vitamin C: 4 mg · Calcium: 25 mg · Iron: 6 mg
Editor’s Word: The put up was initially revealed on January 13, 2011. The content material and pictures had been up to date and the recipe was revised on April 17, 2022. The put up was republished with a brand new video on April 5, 2024.
