Gyudon sauceīecause Gyudon originated as a hotpot, it’s prepared in a similar manner with the beef and onions cooked in a savory sweet broth. Juicer varieties such as sweet onions, tend to turn to mush when you cook them for too long, and red onions discolor, taking on an unappetizing grey appearance. That’s because they tend to hold their shape the best. I’ve tried a bunch of different types of onions here including Welsh onions, and leeks, but I always end up going back to plain old yellow onions. If you’re friendly with your local butcher, you can try asking them to cut it for you on a meat slicer, or you can lightly freeze the beef and then use a very sharp knife to slice it into sheets that are about 1/16 of an inch thick (~1.4mm). This is what makes it possible to cook the meat for such a short amount of time and yet still have it come out tender. Regardless of what cut of beef you use, it’s crucial to slice the meat thinly against the grain. If you live in an area where Philly Cheesesteaks are popular, this is the another good option as the meat is sliced very thinly. It tends to have good marbling and is a little more tender than short plate. Short-plate can be a bit hard to find, which is why I like to use boneless short ribs for my Gyudon.
While some consumers simply switched brands, some loyal Yoshinoya fan’s went to the lengths of visiting the chain’s foreign locations to enjoy their beloved Gyudon. For context, this would be akin to McDonald’s halting sales of hamburgers in the US and replacing them with chicken burgers.Īs stocks of cheap US beef disappeared, Yoshinoya’s competitors Matsuya and Sukiya responded by sourcing beef from other countries, but Yoshinoya stubbornly refused to compromise on quality and price, sticking with pork until the ban was lifted over two years later.
They created a stir in 2004 when the BSE scare (and the ensuing ban on US beef in Japan) caused them to replace their iconic beef bowl with a pork bowl. Yoshinoya is famously picky about their beef and only uses short-plate from American beef. This not only keeps the thin slices of beef moist, but the fat itself also contributes a smooth richness to the sauce. To make an authentic Gyudon taste, you need to use a cut of fatty beef. Simmering the onions and beef in dashi keeps the meat moist and tender while creating a sauce that seasons the rice underneath.A sweet and savory dashi broth with a bit of white wine is the secret to making Gyudon that’s similar to the original from Yoshinoya.Using a fatty cut of beef that’s been sliced very thinly is the key to making flavorful Gyudon.