Gyudon (牛丼), which translates as ‘beef bowl’, is a dish of thinly sliced beef and onions simmered in a savoury sauce, served over a bowl of steamed rice.
The dish is thought to have been invented at the end of the 19th century, during the Meiji era (1868-1912), a period of modernisation and Western influence in Japan. The government is said to have encouraged the consumption of meat, particularly beef, in order to improve the nation's diet and remedy nutritional deficiencies.
Gyudon is a popular dish in Japan for its simplicity and affordability. It can be found in Konbini-type shops (コンビニ) or in various fast-food chains such as Yoshinoya (吉野 家) or Matsuya (松屋).
Ingredients
- Soy sauce (10 tablespoons)
- Mirin (5 tablespoons)
- Cooking sake (5 tablespoons)
- Sesame oil (3 tablespoons)
- Sugar (2 teaspoons)
- Dashi bouillon powder (10 grams)
- 1 onion
- Prime rib of beef (approx. 500 grams)
- Japanese rice or steamed round rice
- Optional: sesame seeds and/or chilli powder for added flavour
Steps
1Peel and slice the onion. The thickness of the strips depends on taste.
2In a saucepan, combine all the liquids: soy sauce, mirin, sake, sesame oil and sugar.
3Heat the mixture and, once it begins to simmer, add the slices of meat.
4Once the meat is cooked and coloured, set aside in a bowl.
Be careful not to leave the meat to cook in the sauce for too long or it will evaporate.
5Add the onions, dashi and water to the pan and boil for around 15 minutes.
6Turn off the heat, add the meat, mix everything together and simmer for around ten minutes to allow the flavour of the stock to permeate the meat.
Once the meat is well absorbed and the rice is cooked, you can prepare the dish.
In a bowl, arrange the rice, then add strips of beef and onions and finally add the sauce to taste.
7Suggested presentation: accompany the Gyudon with a salad of your choice, here we have opted for a cucumber and Wakame salad (ワカメ, an Asian seaweed), the recipe for which you will soon find on the blog.
You can also add sesame seeds or chilli powder to the Gyudon to spice up the dish.
