And now for something completely different: Japanese beef bowl.
When I started writing this series, I had planned to focus on recipes with some connection to Wyoming and the West. This is the reason I’ve leaned so heavily on recipes from the University of Wyoming cookbook “Black Tie and Boots: Timeless Traditions from the New West.” One thing I’ve discovered while reading through the 20-year-old cookbook: while there are some fantastic Wyoming-sourced recipes like grey biscuits and a supposedly legendary elk roast I’ll write about this autumn, the state doesn’t have a large culinary tradition it can call its own. This week, I’m deviating from the norm and sharing a recipe for something I’m not sure many people are familiar with.
I had a chance to go to Tokyo five and a half years ago and came back with a taste for gyudon – the aforementioned Japanese beef bowl. I’ve been craving it lately, and thankfully it’s fairly simple to make.
Japanese Beef Bowl (Gyudon)
So, what is gyudon? It’s a dish made from beef and onions simmered in a savory sauce and served over steamed rice. Gyudon is part of a larger group of “donburi” dishes, which include oyakudon (chicken and egg over rice, the name means “parent and child rice bowl) and katsudon (fried pork cutlet over rice). Donburi is a fast-food staple in Japan, with a few chains specializing in gyudon and other dishes. The ingredients needed don’t require a trip to a specialty grocery store, as you can find everything locally. Though if you want a more authentic flavor, you’ll want to replace the beef broth with dashi broth. For toppings, the most common is pickled red ginger – though that can be hard to find locally. Other common toppings include a fried egg, some chopped green onions, chili flakes, chili oil, or even melted cheese.
What you’ll need:
- 1 pound of thinly sliced beef
- 1 medium onion
- 1 cup of beef broth
- 1/2 tablespoon of granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons of sake
- 3 tablespoons of mirin
- 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of grated ginger
- A pinch of salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 cup of cooked white rice
Start by thinly slicing the onion and, if needed, slicing the beef. In a large frying pan, combine the broth, sake, mirin, soy sauce, grated ginger, and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. In a small, oiled frying pan, fry the onions, adding the salt and pepper as they cook. Continue cooking until they’re translucent. Turn the heat to medium-high on the large frying pan with the liquid and bring it to a simmer, then add the sliced meat. As the meat simmers in the pan, skim off the foam and fat coming to the surface. Once the meat is cooked through, add the onions to the pan. To serve, put a half cup of rice into a bowl and spoon some of the sauce over the rice before placing the meat and onions. Add your toppings and serve.