Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl)

Steak that’s been seared to perfection, dressed with the most incredible onion-garlic sauce, and served on top of a bed of warm fluffy rice. Date night or not, this dish is bound to impress!

Gyudon basically translates to ‘Beef Rice Bowl’ in Japanese. It consists of a warm bowl of rice topped with a perfectly seared steak, an onsen tamago (i.e. hot spring egg in Japanese), a drizzle of sweet sauce, and then garnished with shredded spring onions. It’s a dish that’s so easy and yet amazing enough to excite your most unimpressionable guests.

The craze for Wagyu Don spread like wildfire across Singapore a couple of years ago. Pictures of it were everywhere – on Facebook, Twitter, and whatever social media platforms we were using back then. Even news publications like Today were jumping in on it with their top picks in the country.

I moved abroad shortly after I had my first taste of it and constantly yearned for it for the months to follow. At some point, I decided enough was enough, and resolved to make it for myself. There was just one thing…where can I get my hands on a Wagyu steak in Manchester?! Scratch that. How could a student possibly afford such a premium piece of steak! I settled for the next best thing – Ribeye (hence ‘Gyu’ rather than ‘Wagyu’ in the title). And that’s where this Gyudon recipe begun…

Going back to the onsentamago, it can definitely be achieved without a sous vide device although the results might vary a bit. I followed the exact same steps all the time but have not always gotten the perfect egg. Anyway, I was gifted a sous vide device (the Anova Precision Cooker) for my birthday last year and it has really changed my life. Since then I’ve looked for all sorts of reasons to use it, and an onsen egg was the perfect excuse! Simply set the sous vide machine at 62.8°C, pop the eggs in, and let it work its magic. After 45 minutes, you will get the most beautiful egg with a soft, creamy yolk and barely-set whites – et voilà!

Print Recipe

Gyudon

(7 votes, average: 4.43 out of 5)
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Serves: 2

Steak that's been seared to perfection, dressed with the most incredible onion-garlic sauce, and served on top of a bed of warm fluffy rice. Date night or not, this dish is bound to impress!

Ingredients

Neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil

300g of steak (your choice of cut)

Salt & black pepper

1 scallion, shredded

2 eggs, refrigerated

4 cups water (or enough to fill your pot)

2 cups cooked short-grain or medium grain white-rice

Sauce

1/4 onion, grated

3/4 cup dashi stock (can also substitute with beef or chicken stock)

1.5 tablespoon soy sauce

1.5 tablespoon mirin

0.5 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon sake (optional)

Instructions

1

Set the sous vide device to 62.8°C. When it’s ready, carefully add both eggs in and let them cook for 45 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and place it in an ice bath to stop the cooking. If you want to make the soft egg without a sous vide device, please refer to Note 1. You can opt to make poached eggs here as well.

2

Heat a flat non-stick pan over high heat. While the pan is heating up, season your steak generously with salt and black pepper. Place the steak in the hot pan and let it to sear for 1 minute without touching it. Depending on the thickness of your steak and how you like your steak, cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 50-55°C (for medium rare). Set the steak aside and let it rest for 10 minutes, covering with an aluminium foil.

3

Heat up a small pan or pot and cook the grated onions until translucent. Then, add all the other ingredients listed under ‘Sauce’ and give it a good mix.

4

ASSEMBLY:

5

Divide the rice into 2 bowls.

6

Slice the beef at a 45° angle and lay them evenly on top of the rice.

7

Carefully crack the eggs and slide it on top of the rice. The soft boiled eggs should come out easily from the shells.

8

Garnish with shredded scallion and enjoy!

Notes

Heat a full pot of water to a rolling boil (choose the pot size depending on the number of eggs you’re using). As soon as it starts to boil, take it off the heat completely. Let it cool slightly for 1 minute. Quickly, take the eggs from the refrigerator and place them carefully in the hot water. Stir it gently to make the water temperature even and then cover immediately and let it sit for 16 to 17 minutes. Make sure to use a timer! Once the time is up, remove the eggs from hot water and place them in an ice bath.