Gyudon

Ingredients

• 5⅔ ozBeefvery thinly sliced
• 1Onioncut into strips
• 14⅛ ozRicecooked, warm; Japanese short-grain rice
• 2½ tbspsoy saucefor the simmering sauce
• 1 tbspMirinfor the simmering sauce
• 1 tbspsugarfor the simmering sauce
• 2 tbspSakefor the simmering sauce
• ½ cupWaterfor the simmering sauce
• 1 tspOilfor frying
• Spring onionthinly sliced, for sprinkling
• 4¼ ozYamcoarsely crushed or grated, as topping (optional)
• wasabismall dab on the yam (optional)
• 1 clovesGarlicgrated, into the simmering sauce (optional)
• 8¾ ozDaikon radishfinely grated, as topping (optional)
• 3½ ozShimeji mushroomsroot end trimmed, separated (optional)
• 1Carrotcut into fine strips (optional)
• 2Eggraw or very soft, on top (optional)
• ⅛ ozDashi powderfor the simmering sauce (optional)

Method

1. Wash and cook the rice so it's warm and waiting by the time the beef is done.
2. Cut the onion into strips and slice the spring onion into fine rings. If you want a topping, grate the daikon finely now, or crush the yam coarsely or grate it.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and fry the thinly sliced beef until the colour changes, separating the slices with chopsticks or a spoon as you go.
4. Add the onion strips and cook along until they soften.
5. Pour in the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sake and water, bring everything to a boil and skim off the foam.
6. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the broth has taken on flavour.
7. Fill two bowls with the warm rice and spoon the beef and onion over it, along with plenty of the simmering liquid.
8. Finish with your topping: crushed yam with a small dab of wasabi, a mound of grated daikon, or an egg. Scatter the spring onion rings over the top at the end.

Tips and variations

Instead of a topping you can simmer vegetables along with the beef: shimeji mushrooms and fine carrot strips, cooked in the seasoning mixture alone with no water at all. For a lighter bowl, pile plenty of finely grated daikon over the meat. If you'd rather keep it simple, skip the frying and put the beef and onion straight into the cold seasoned broth with a little grated garlic, then cook everything for 10 minutes; or blanch the beef briefly in water first, turn it in the sauce afterwards and stretch the broth with dashi. A raw egg on top works well — if you prefer, let it set in hot water for 5 to 7 minutes first. Serve the bowls right away, while the rice is hot and still drinking up the broth.