Gyudon with Kimchi and Onsen Tamago

Name: Gyudon with Kimchi and Onsen Tamago
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 lb sirloin steak ((cut into thin slices) (450g)); 2 onions ((cut into thinly slices)); ¼ cup soy sauce ((60ml)); 2 tbsp mirin; 2 tbsp sake; ¼ cup water ((60ml)); ½ tsp dashi; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 4 large eggs; 4 cups cooked short grain rice ((preferably hot and steaming)); 1 cup Napa cabbage kimchi; Slice green onions (to garnish)

Asian, Beef, Main Dish

This flavorful Gyudon (Beef Bowl) topped with simmered beef, soft cooked egg, and cabbage kimchi makes a delicious and comforting meal.

Donburi is a Japanese rice bowl dish. Hot steaming rice is place in the bowl topped with fish, meat, or vegetables. The flavorful meat and vegetable juices are absorbed into the rice making it all the more tasty. The toppings need not be fancy. In fact, a simple soft cooked egg drizzled with soy sauce makes a very tasty topping.

Gyudon (Beef Bowl)

Beef donburi also known as Gyudon (Beef Bowl) is very popular in Japan. You can find this fast and inexpensive dish at chain stores across the country. The beef is typically cooked with onions, soy sauce, mirin, sake, dashi, and sugar giving it a mildly sweet flavor. Egg is commonly added. Beni shoga (pickled red ginger) and shichimi togarashi (seven flavor chili pepper) are good accompaniments. A bowl of Miso Soup completes the meal.

Half Boiled Eggs)

When I was a kid, Mom often made Half Boiled Eggs (soft cooked eggs) for breakfast. These were very soft eggs with runny whites and yolks. Fresh brown eggs were placed in a large enamel mug and boiling water poured over to cover the eggs. The lid was placed on the mug and the eggs sat in the hot water bath for 6 to 7 minutes. As soon as the timer went off, the water was drained and the eggs cracked into individual serving bowls. They were then seasoned with a little soy sauce and pepper and served immediately with toast. I remember eating this quite often until I eventually outgrew it. Please note that 6 to 7 minutes may be sufficient in the tropics but over here where it is much cooler, the eggs need to sit for 7 to 8 minutes.

Onsen Tamago (Hot Spring Eggs)

Onsen Tamago (hot spring eggs), on the other hand, have firmer egg whites and yolks but they are still soft and creamy. Originally these eggs are slow cooked in baskets lowered into the hot springs. As the temperature in the hot springs is more or less constant, only the timing need to be monitored. Making these at home can be a little tricky as the temperature and timing has to be just right. There are various methods but the easiest and fastest is to use the same method as soft cooked eggs by increasing the time to 11 or 12 minutes instead. The egg in the pictures was a little soft as the water did cool slightly with the lid off while I took pictures. 🙁

To complete my donburi, I added a side of Napa Cabbage Kimchi to the bowl. The spicy kimchi was a nice counterpoint to the beef and egg.