20-Minute Gyudon with Quick Pickled Ginger

⏱ 25 min · Serves 2

Silky ribbons of beef and sweet onion simmered in a glossy dashi-soy-mirin broth, spooned over hot rice with a heap of homemade pink pickled ginger cutting through the richness. Tokyo comfort food, faster than a takeaway.

Per serving: 720 kcal · 42.0g protein · 76.0g carbs · 26.0g fat

Ingredients

• 300g beef sirloin or ribeye, sliced paper-thin (or shabu-shabu beef)
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 200ml dashi (or water + 1 tsp instant dashi powder)
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp neutral oil
• 300g cooked short-grain Japanese rice (about 150g uncooked)
• 2 egg yolks or 2 soft-boiled eggs (optional)
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• Shichimi togarashi, to serve
• 60g fresh ginger, peeled and sliced wafer-thin
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine salt

Method

1. Make the pickled ginger: toss the ginger slices with the salt and leave 5 minutes, then squeeze out excess liquid. Bring the rice vinegar and sugar to a simmer, pour over the ginger and leave to cool while you cook — it turns faintly pink and sharply fragrant.
2. Cook the rice if you haven't already, and keep it warm and covered.
3. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened but not coloured.
4. Pour in the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 4 minutes so the onion turns silky and the broth tastes rounded.
5. Separate the beef slices and lay them into the simmering broth in a single layer. Cook 2–3 minutes, skimming any foam, until just cooked through — don't let it boil hard or the beef toughens.
6. Divide the hot rice between two deep bowls. Spoon over the beef and onion with a generous ladle of broth so it soaks into the rice.
7. Top each bowl with an egg yolk or halved soft-boiled egg, a good pile of the drained pickled ginger, sliced spring onion and a pinch of shichimi togarashi. Eat immediately.