Remember that time I got paid to spend the entire summer in Japan in college (Camp Adventure, woot!) and gained like, 15lbs from drinking too much Peach Chu-Hi and eating WAY too many gyoza? I do. Well there’s something else to blame for all the weight I packed onto my short little frame in 3 short months — Yoshinoya Beef Bowls. OH YES! Yoshinoya is a fast-casual restaurant chain in Japan that’s famous for its beef bowls containing white rice and piles of thinly shaven, tender beef on top. Sounds weird – taste AMAZING. (source) They’re pretty much everywhere and you can get in and out in under 15 minutes, making it ideal for stopping in for a quick lunch, bite after work, nosh after the bars…
I was incredibly Japan-sick after I returned at the end of that summer, and vowed to recreate the dish I loved so much at home so I could have it anytime I wanted. Using only 6 low-fuss ingredients, I think I got pretty close! Start by bringing beef broth, soy sauce or gluten-free Tamari, mirin, and a little sugar to a boil.
Mirin is a Japanese cooking wine that you can get at any grocery store these days.
After the liquid comes to a boil, add sliced onions, turn the heat down to medium, then simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.
Finally, add very thinly sliced beef loin. I’ve had my butcher do the slicing for me before, otherwise just pop the beef into the freezer until it hardens, then slice it. Unlike my thighs that summer, the thinner the better!
Since the beef is sliced so thin, it takes just a minute or two to cook in the hot broth. It’s kind of like Pho in this way.
Pile the tender beef and onion slices over fluffy white rice, drizzle with some of the broth, and you’re set!
The sauce in this dish is so delicate. Neither salty, nor sweet — it’s just right.
Mixed with the melt-in-your-mouth beef and onions, I am sent straight back to the counter at my local Yoshinoya with just one bite.
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