This beef gyudon rice bowl is the ultimate Japanese comfort food and something really easy to assemble on a busy weeknight. If you have been to Yoshinoya, you will know the buzz behind this popular beef dish. It is a Japanese classic. In Taiwan, we have our version of pork bowl — Lu Rou Fan/滷肉飯 — pork belly simmered in soy sauce, star anise, served with a marinated egg. I like the Gyudon as it is a lot lighter.

This dish is made with staple Japanese condiments — soy sauce, dashi powder, mirin, and sake. I love adding shirataki noodles(konjac) for bulk and texture, it soaks up the broth and is full of fiber. The onions and umami broth are the soul of this dish, the beef adds richness without being too heavy. You can add a poached egg, serve with miso soup or sprinkle some togarashi (Japanese seven-spice powder).

Beef Gyudon Rice Bowl 吉野家牛肉飯

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 1 yellow or sweet onion, thinly sliced

• 1 cup dashi stock (substitute 1 cup water with 1/2 tsp dashi powder)

• 2 tablespoons sake (or rice wine)

• 1/4 cup mirin

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) grated ginger

• 1/2 lb thinly sliced beef* (225 grams, see note)

• 1 package Shirataki noodles, drained and rinsed (optional)

• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced

• 1 tbsp pickled red ginger (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized pot, heat 1/2 cup dashi over medium heat. Add the sake, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce. Stir, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.

2. Add the sliced onions and ginger, stir, cover, and cook until soft and translucent, around 10-15 minutes. Keep the lid on to prevent the broth from evaporating, as it’s the best part of this dish.

3. When the onion is tender, add the beef slices. Break apart the beef slices and cook until the meat is no longer pink, around 5 minutes.

4. If using Shirataki noodles, add them now and stir to evenly distribute. Taste the broth and adjust with more soy sauce or sugar if desired.

5. Serve over warm rice topped with pickled red ginger, sesame seeds, and sliced green onions.

Notes:

*I used frozen sliced hot pot beef as a quick and easy option. Thinly shaved ribeye or chuck steak is also a good choice. If the meat is frozen, add a few more minutes of cooking time.