Cook’s notes
Much as we love gyudon, we don’t always have beef in the freezer to cook and enjoy this Japanese rice bowl dish that has become a favorite at home.
But we’re rarely out of pork. There’s always pork belly in three cuts — whole (i.e., a one kilogram slab), slices (half-inch slices in half-kilo packs) and bacon-cut (thin slices like bacon rashers also in half-kilo packs). I used bacon-cut pork belly for this dish.
The greens you see in the photo above are broccoli microgreens — a lucky find the last time I was at the supermarket. It’s not a must for this dish. Greens aren’t even a traditional component of Japanese gyudon. But if you like greens, go ahead and add them to your rice bowl. Even edamame is a great addition.
Not a fan of microgreens and edamame? Thinly sliced scallions will do just as well.
What about the egg? Does it have to be hard-boiled? No. If you want something really authentic, try raw egg yolk. If you’re worried about salmonella, stick with cooked egg — poached, soft-boiled, hard-boiled or fried sunny side up.
Not a fan of microgreens and edamame? Thinly sliced scallions will do just as well.
What about the egg? Does it have to be hard-boiled? No. If you want something really authentic, try raw egg yolk. If you’re worried about salmonella, stick with cooked egg — poached, soft-boiled, hard-boiled or fried sunny side up.Pork version of gyudon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 onions peeled and thinly sliced
- 500 grams thinly sliced pork belly (1.1 pounds) cut into half-inch strips
- 1 tablespoon dashi granules
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup sake
- ¼ cup mirin
- cooked rice to serve
- greens to serve
- 3 hard-boiled eggs (shelled and halved) to serve
Instructions
- Heat the cooking oil in a frying pan.
- Add the onion slices to the hot oil and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to caramelize.
- Turn up the heat to high, add the pork to the onion slices and stir to break up any clumps. Cook just until the meat is no longer pink.
- Add the dashi granules; pour in the soy sauce, sake and mirin. Stir.
- Turn down the heat to medium and cook, uncovered with occasional stirring, until the sauce has reduced to about two tablespoonfuls.
- Scoop rice into bowls, ladle the pork over the rice, arrange the eggs on the side and garnish with your choice of greens.
18th century American macaroni and cheese