Dashi-poached beef with rice (gyudon)

“It’s no wonder this warming combination of dashi, soy sauce, sake, ginger and beef is a popular lunchtime snack in Japan. Gyudon is true to its name – gyu means beef and don, short for donburi, means rice bowl dish - and takes just minutes to prepare. Don't be fooled, though, this dish is full of flavour!” Ainsley Harriott, Ainsley Harriott’s Street Food

Credit: Ainsley Harriott's Street Food

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 450 ml dashi stock (see Note)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1½ tbsp sake
• 1 tsp finely grated ginger
• 350 g beef sirloin or fillet, thinly sliced and cut into 5 cm-wide strips
• steamed Japanese rice and pickled ginger, to serve

Instructions

Place the dashi stock in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the onion and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the soy sauce, sugar and sake and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add the ginger and beef and cook, stirring continuously, for about 1-2 minutes or until the meat is just lightly cooked. Spoon the beef and sauce over bowls of steamed rice, sprinkle with pickled ginger and serve immediately. 

Note

• You can make a quick dashi stock by dissolving instant dashi granules in hot water. Dashi granules are available from Asian supermarkets. 

Ainsley Harriott’s Street Food starts Thursday 6 August 2015 at 8.30pm on SBS and finishes 1 October 2015. Visit the Ainsley Harriott’s Street Food program page to catch-up on episodes online, scroll through recipes and read our interview with Ainsley.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.