One of our favorite restaurants, Kokoro serves a Japanese beef bowl. Technically, the dish should be called Japanese Gyudon, featuring thinly sliced fatty beef cooked in a subtly sweet blend of mirin and soy sauce, elegantly served over a bed of rice. Crowned with a perfectly cooked egg or not, it’s up to you. Serve with pickled red ginger.
*Ingredients:*
– Neutral oil (such as vegetable or olive oil)
– 2 medium onions, very thinly sliced
– 1 pound very thinly sliced beef (fatty beef chuck or ribeye)
– 2 teaspoons sugar
– 2 tablespoons mirin
– 2 tablespoons soy sauce
– 1 cup dashi stock (or substitute with beef or chicken stock)
– 4 eggs
– 4 cups cooked white rice (short grain or medium grain preferred)
– 1 scallion, chopped
– 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions:
1. Heat neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the thinly sliced onions for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the beef and sugar to the skillet, cooking until the beef achieves a slight browning. Introduce mirin, soy sauce, and stock. Bring to a simmer, allowing it to cook for 10-15 minutes until the stock transforms into a thin sauce. Taste for seasoning and adjust with more soy sauce if necessary.
3. In a separate cast iron or non-stick skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil. Cook the eggs sunny-side up, ensuring the yolks remain runny. Batch cooking is an option if needed.
4. Once the beef has finished simmering, distribute the cooked rice among serving bowls (recipe serves 4). Top each bowl with the beef and a sunny-side-up egg. Garnish with chopped scallion and, if desired, toasted sesame seeds and pickled ginger.