Yoshinoya has been serving “tasty, low-priced and quick” gyudon (beef bowls) in Japan for over a century. In recent years, the chain’s bright orange signs can also be found at around 600 locations throughout Southeast Asia and the United States. It seems the world has fallen in love with the original Japanese fast food.
Now anyone can enjoy the beefy goodness of gyudon from the comfort of their own home thanks to this easy recipe. It’s the closest you’ll get to an authentic Yoshinoya beef bowl without having to put on pants.
Ingredients
160 – 200g sliced beef
½ Onion
Sauce:
200ml water
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs white wine
1 Tbs red wine
1 Tbs mirin
2 Tbs soy sauce
½ tsp dashinomoto (dashi powder)
1 tsp grated garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
Topping:
Benishouga (red pickled ginger)
Shichimi tougarashi (seven spice)
＊The beef doesn’t need to be high quality, any kind will do. When it comes to the meat, the thinner, the better (the original Yoshinoya beef bowl uses very thinly sliced beef). If your local supermarket doesn’t sell thin-cut meat, you can ask the butcher or cut it yourself at home.
＊You may be thinking, “But why use wine in a Japanese dish?” It might sound like a strange ingredient, but wine is actually an important part of making a beef bowl that taste like the ones from Yoshinoya.
＊If you don’t have access to mirin, you can substitute one teaspoon of sugar.
＊Dashinomoto may be hard to find at your local grocery store, so you may have to check at a Japanese market.
Directions
1. Add all of the sauce ingredients into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat.
2. Slice the onions and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. The onions should be fairly thick, just like at Yoshinoya.
3. Once the sauce has come to a boil, add the onions and reduce to low heat. Allow the onions to cook for a few minutes.
4. Add the beef and continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. (If you have time, it’s best to turn off the heat once the beef is no longer pink and let everything cool until ready to serve. This allows the beef and onions to soak up the sauce. Reheat before serving.)
5. In a large bowl, add rice and place beef and onion mixture on top. You can add as much benishouga (red pickled ginger) and shichimi tougarashi (seven spice) as you like.
Makes two servings
＊Adding shichimi tougarashi (seven spice) gives the beef bowl a spicy flavor.
＊Serve with miso soup or salad for a healthy meal.
＊Pants optional.
Enjoy! We’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe, so drop us a line either in the comments section below or via our Facebook page. Happy cooking!