Gyudon (牛丼) Recipe

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Photo by Christian Dala on Unsplash

The gyudon shown here may differ slightly from the version in the recipe below.

Gyudon (Beef Bowl)

Gyudon (牛丼) is a Japanese rice bowl topped with thin slices of beef and onions simmered in a lightly sweet soy-based sauce, often made with mirin and sometimes a splash of sake for depth. The name comes from gyu (牛) which means beef and don (丼) which is short for donburi, or “bowl”.

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions
• 1 pound (450 g) very thinly sliced beef
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) mirin
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
• 1 cup (235 ml) dashi stock
• 4 eggs
• 4 cups (720 g) cooked white rice
• 1 chopped scallion
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
2. Add beef and sugar. Cook briefly, then pour in mirin, soy sauce, and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until slightly reduced. Adjust with more soy sauce if needed.
3. In a separate pan, fry the eggs sunny-side up, keeping the yolks runny.
4. Place rice in serving bowls, add the beef mixture, and top each with an egg. Finish with scallions and sesame seeds if desired.