Gyudon / Japanese beef rice bowl

One of my favourite Japanese beef dishes is gyudon , a sweet and savoury simmered beef and onions served on top of steamed rice . A quick and simple dish that you can whip easily in one pan and in less than 10 minutes cooking time ! How's that for fast food ?! 

This recipe is more soupy than the first Yoshinoya-style gyudon recipe that I made a long time ago so , I decided to use half of it to top my udon noodles . I never like udon noodle soup but the umami-rich flavour of the beef broth that flavoured the noodles changed my mind ! 

I made half of the recipe and used 200 grams sukiyaki-style beef , 1/2 cup water plus 1/2 cup chicken broth instead of dashi . I don't like beni-shoga so I used gari , a much more refreshing pickled young ginger and chilli flakes instead of shichimi . An egg topping is optional but it tastes great in this dish . I cooked onsen egg or hot spring egg , a perfect add-in in this simple yet hearty and comforting dish .

If you're wondering if this gyudon tastes like Yoshinoya ? 

This is way better 😋

Recipe adapted from Japanese Soul Cooking

My slight modification in italics ( half of the recipe ) 

Serves 4

1 medium onion , about 3/4 pound , peeled
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tbsps sake
6 tbsps mirin
2 cups dashi I used 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsps toasted sesame oil
1 pound shaved beef / sukiyaki-style beef , cut into bite-sized pieces 200 grams 
1/4 cup sugar
a pinch of salt 

To serve :

6 cups cooked Japanese white rice
shichimi togarashi / Japanese seven-spice powder
beni-shoga / Japanese red pickled ginger

 1 1/2 cups cooked Japanese rice 
200 grams instant udon noodles , cook according to package direction 
gari , Japanese young pickled ginger 
chilli flakes 

* Cut onion in half lengthwise and cut each half into 1/4-inch slices .

* Combine soy sauce , sake , mirin and dashi in a bowl , set aside .

* Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over high heat . Add beef and cook , stirring frequently for about 2 ( I cooked mine for about 1 minute ) minutes or until beef browns slightly . Add sugar , wait for 10 seconds before adding the onion . Cook , stirring constantly , for about 1 minute , until it begins to soften . Pour in the liquid mixture into the skillet . Let simmer for about 5 minutes , until the ingredients are cooked through . While the mixture is simmering , use a large spoon to skim off any scum and fat that appear on the surface . Add a pinch of salt , if necessary . 

* While the mixture is simmering , divide rice among 4 large bowls . As soon as gyudon is ready , spoon it over the rice , sprinkle with shichimi and top with beni-shoga . Serve immediately .