Ah, soy sauce and sugar: what a perfect combination. With a bit of sesame oil and garlic, they form the base of many Korean dishes. But in 牛丼(gyūdon)--usually translated, especially by Yoshinoya, as "beef bowl"--the additions of sake and mirin give the sauce a distinctly Japanese flavor. Not really a stir-fry--more of a braise, really--it's a quick and satisfying dish.
This recipe is adapted from a recipe card from Co-op Kobe, our local supermarket chain. The original can be viewed here. They claim it serves four; I cut down the amount of beef, increased the vegetables, and found that it made enough for two adults and a child.
GYŪDON (牛丼)
150g thinly sliced beef
1/4 small white onion, sliced thinly
1/4 carrot, cut into small sticks
8-10 green beans, cut in half
2 thin slices of ginger, cut into matchsticks
Sauce:
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sake
3 tbsp mirin
2 tsp sugar
Steamed rice
Pickled ginger (梅酢しょうが)
1. Slice the beef into small, bite-sized pieces, roughly 2cm long. Prepare the vegetables, ensuring that they are of similar size so they'll cook equally.
2. Prepare the sauce and put in a small saucepan. Add the vegetables (except the ginger), and cook gently over a medium heat for a few minutes until slightly soft. Add the meat and ginger and continue to cook until beef changes color. Some of the sauce will be absorbed by the beef, but the mixture should still be fairly saucy.
3. Place steamed rice into bowls (丼) and pour the beef and vegetables over the top.
4. Serve with plenty of pickled ginger as a topping.
To really make this a full meal (as you would get in a fast food shop in Japan), serve with miso soup (みそ汁) and a small bowl of tofu topped with ginger, green onions and soy sauce.
The variations here are endless: replace the green beans and carrots with mushrooms or a green vegetable (leafy ones are particularly good); peppers, either red or yellow, add a nice splash.
This recipe is adapted from a recipe card from Co-op Kobe, our local supermarket chain. The original can be viewed here. They claim it serves four; I cut down the amount of beef, increased the vegetables, and found that it made enough for two adults and a child.
GYŪDON (牛丼)
150g thinly sliced beef
1/4 small white onion, sliced thinly
1/4 carrot, cut into small sticks
8-10 green beans, cut in half
2 thin slices of ginger, cut into matchsticks
Sauce:
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sake
3 tbsp mirin
2 tsp sugar
Steamed rice
Pickled ginger (梅酢しょうが)
1. Slice the beef into small, bite-sized pieces, roughly 2cm long. Prepare the vegetables, ensuring that they are of similar size so they'll cook equally.
2. Prepare the sauce and put in a small saucepan. Add the vegetables (except the ginger), and cook gently over a medium heat for a few minutes until slightly soft. Add the meat and ginger and continue to cook until beef changes color. Some of the sauce will be absorbed by the beef, but the mixture should still be fairly saucy.
3. Place steamed rice into bowls (丼) and pour the beef and vegetables over the top.
4. Serve with plenty of pickled ginger as a topping.
To really make this a full meal (as you would get in a fast food shop in Japan), serve with miso soup (みそ汁) and a small bowl of tofu topped with ginger, green onions and soy sauce.
The variations here are endless: replace the green beans and carrots with mushrooms or a green vegetable (leafy ones are particularly good); peppers, either red or yellow, add a nice splash.
