A beef bowl is called “gyudon” in Japanese. “Gyu” means beef and don is short for “donburi” which is food served on top of rice in a bowl. Gyudon is kind of like fast food but healthier. There are many gyudon restaurants in Japan and the dish is very popular. A lot of gyudon restaurants are open for 24 hours and men typically go there after a night of drinking.

Yield: 2 servings
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 lb sliced beef (sukiyaki style if you can find it)
1 medium onion (sliced)
2 bowls of steamed rice
Spices

1 tsp hon-dashi (soup stock powder)
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp grated ginger

Preparation

Place hon-dashi, sliced onion, and 1 cup of hot water in a medium saucepan
Boil, then simmer for 6 minutes over medium heat
Add mixed spices (soy sauce, sake, sugar, ginger) and beef
Boil, then simmer on medium heat (covered) for 10 minutes
Serve gyudon atop a bowl of steamed rice, along with some liquid from the saucepan (adjust to your preference, but it shouldn’t be soupy)

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