Classic Japanese Beef Bowl (Gyudon)

Enjoy this savory Japanese comfort dish featuring tender thinly sliced beef and caramelized onions simmered in a rich sauce and served over hot steamed rice.

Ingredients

• 300 g thinly sliced beef
• 0.5 white onion
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 0.5 tbsp sugar
• 0.5 tbsp starch
• 2 eggs
• to taste scallions
• to taste ginger
• to taste black sesame seeds

Instructions

1. 1Boil the water

   

   Pour three bowls of water into a black pan. Place the pan on the stove and turn on the heat to bring the water to a boil.

   Tip: Using consistent bowl measurements ensures the correct water-to-ingredient ratio for your sauce.
2. 2Cook the eggs

   

   Once the water is boiling turn off the heat. Add one bowl of cold water carefully place the eggs into the pan and let them sit for ten minutes.

   Tip: Adding a bowl of cold water to the boiling water before adding the eggs helps prevent them from cracking.
3. 3Cool the eggs

   

   After the eggs have sat for ten minutes, remove them from the hot water. Place the eggs immediately into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and cool them down.

   Tip: Soaking in ice water makes the eggs much easier to peel later.
4. 4Prepare the onion

   

   Take half an onion, preferably a white onion, and slice it into thin slivers on a wooden cutting board.

   Tip: Slicing the onion thinly ensures it cooks quickly and incorporates better into the sauce.
5. 5Blanch the beef

   

   Bring a pot of water to a boil. Briefly blanch the beef slices along with scallions in the boiling water to clean them, then remove and set aside.

   Tip: Blanching removes excess blood and impurities from the beef, ensuring a cleaner taste in the final dish.
6. 6Stir-fry the aromatics

   

   Heat a pan with a little oil. Add the onion slices and stir-fry using a wooden spatula until they become soft and fragrant.

   Tip: Stir-frying until soft allows the onions to release their natural sweetness into the oil.
7. 7Add the Beef

   

   Add the previously blanched beef slices to the pan with the sautéed onions. Stir them together to ensure the beef is well-distributed and begins to absorb the flavors of the onions.

   Tip: Ensure the beef is well-drained after blanching so you dont add excess water to the pan.
8. 8Pour in the Sauce

   

   Pour the prepared sauce mixture over the beef and onions in the pan. The sauce, made from light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, starch, and water, will coat the ingredients as it cooks.

   Tip: Stir the sauce well before pouring to ensure the starch and seasonings are perfectly incorporated.
9. 9Plating the Beef Bowl

   

   Prepare a bowl of steamed white rice, making a slight indentation in the center. Use chopsticks to neatly arrange the cooked beef and onion mixture on top, leaving space in the middle for the egg.

   Tip: Use a light touch with the chopsticks to keep the beef slices neatly layered over the rice.
10. 10Prepare the Sauce

    

    In a small bowl, combine two tablespoons of light soy sauce, one tablespoon of dark soy sauce, one tablespoon of oyster sauce, half a tablespoon of sugar, half a tablespoon of starch, and half a bowl of water. Stir the mixture thoroughly until well combined.

    Tip: Ensure the starch is fully dissolved in the liquid to prevent clumping when the sauce is added to the pan.

Storage & Reheating

Burn It Off

Frequently Asked Questions