Gyudon Beef Bowl

Inspired by Ivan Orkin - New York, NY

IMG_2035+%281%29.jpg
IMG_1434.jpg
PONF9234.jpg
IMG_1967.jpg

Growing up, I used to think Japanese food was just sushi, ramen, and teriyaki. Thanks to friends who have been to Japan, and chefs like Ivan Orkin, I now know how very wrong I was. Like many Japanese dishes I’ve made recently, this contains mirin, a sweet cooking sake that you may as well put in everything given how addicting it is. Even better, the beauty of this dish lies in how simple it is to make. Eat often and repeat for best results.

Parts of this recipe were adapted by Ivan Orkin’s recipe for “Beef and Onion Rice Bowl (Gyudon)” in his cookbook, “The Gaijin Cookbook”. Ivan also own a ramen shop in New York City called Ivan Ramen. In my opinion, it’s the best ramen in the city.

INGREDIENTS

GYUDON BEEF BOWL (Comfortably serves 4):

  • 1 lb beef chuck

  • 1 white onion

  • ⅓ cup sake

  • ⅓ cup soy sauce

  • ⅓ cup mirin

  • ¼ cup sugar

  • 2 inch ginger piece

ADDITIONAL NEEDS (for serving):

  • Sushi rice

  • toppings of choice

GO FOR IT

GYUDON BEEF BOWL:

  1. With your sharpest knife, thinly slice beef against the grain as thin as possible, then set aside

  2. Thickly slice the onion, then set aside

  3. Grate the ginger, then set aside

  4. In a large skillet, bring 2 cups of water to a simmer

  5. Add in sliced onion, sake, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, then simmer until onion begins to soften (3-5 minutes)

  6. Add in beef and simmer, removing any scum that might accumulate with a slotted spoon

  7. Cover and simmer until beef is tender (15-20 minutes)

  8. Once tender, remove skillet from heat and add grated ginger

  9. Serve immediately over steaming rice

  10. Top with any desired extras (furikake seasoning, sesame seeds, kimchi, egg yoke, green onions, etc) and ENJOY

NOTES:

I mean it when I say that mirin is addicting. Always keep some in your pantry. That being said, if you do not have sake (which is worth getting for that extra kick of flavor and libations afterward) then sub out by adding more mirin. Just kick it back a tad (so like ½ cup total instead of ⅔ cup).

At Ivan Orkin’s instructions, I add a raw egg yoke on top but he makes it very clear that toppings are pretty much up to you as this dish is served in hundreds of different ways in Japan. Put what you like.