Not all Japanese dishes are characterized by seafood, seaweed, and chili peppers. In fact, many of the most popular ones are not spicy at all. A case in point is the Gyūdon beef and rice bowl is a classic favourite and a ubiquitous street food…
“Gyūdon is a Japanese beef bowl con-sisting of thinly sliced fatty beef and onions in a lightly sweet mixture of mirin and soy sauce,” explains The Woks of Life recipe contributor Sarah. “Serve it over rice with a fried egg for a simple and delicious meal!”
Sounds simple enough. And I like the idea that its light, slightly sweet and umamified to the hilt!
What’s in it?
The main ingredients are the beef and rice. But the beef is cut in thin, long strips. Ideally, they should match the sliced (but not diced) onions in physical dimensions. The real star of the dish is the flavour profile. The formula is simple – as are many Japanese classics – blending Mirin (Japanese rice wine, especially for cooking), soy sauce and dashi (savoury, delicate fish sauce).
And don’t, whatever you do, forget the Sesame seeds! Although sesame oil is not used in this recipe as it often is in Japanese cuisine, the sesame seeds sprinkled on the dish at serving time make a significant and delightful balancing contribution to the overall flavour.
Simple 4-step procedure
As the ultra-simple recipe relates, the dish comes together in just a few minutes. The thin-sliced beef cooks to perfection in a flash. It put me in mind of a Teppanyaki ‘show’. The ingredient that takes longest is the onions! You want them soft and plump and juicy. DO NOT caramelize them, in spite of any temptations you may have to add even more umami sumptuousness…
Crowning glory
You might be surprised to learn that authentic, classic Gyūdon is always topped with a fried egg on top. In fact, a number of classic Japanese dished are topped with a perfect sunny-side egg. And the tradition extends to many other Asian cultures, not to mention European and American!
My take
Gyūdon is a simple, filling, superbly tasty dish you can whip up in minutes. Yet it embodies all the elegance and delicacy characteristic of Japanese cuisine. It’s perfect for midweek suppers, or anytime you’re dining solo and don’t want to be bothered making lunch or supper into a major production.
If you’ve been avoiding Japanese food after having a bad reaction to Sushi, or an instinctive ‘ick’ over seaweed… Gyūdon may be just the thing to get back on track with the intriguing, exciting world of Japanese cuisine!
~ Maggie J.