Steak Donburi

Japanese home cooking has its own rhythms and traditions, and “donburi” is a whole world of comfort food with a lot of regional and personal nuance. This is our home-kitchen-friendly version inspired by those flavours. Here’s a tasty bowl that leans on donburi logic and seasonings, made with mostly readily available ingredients.

Ingredients

• Warm cooked Japanese rice, one bowl per person

• About 250–300 g steak (we recommend sirloin, ribeye, or flank)

• A little neutral oil for searing

• Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon mirin

• 1 tablespoon sake (or a splash more mirin if you don’t have sake)

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon grated garlic

• 1 teaspoon grated ginger

• A tiny optional drizzle of sesame oil to finish (optional)

Optional toppings:

Spring onions, shredded nori, toasted sesame seeds, an egg yolk, pickled ginger.

Method:

• Mix the sauce ingredients in a little bowl and set aside.

• Pat your steak dry, season with salt and pepper, and heat the oil in a pan over medium-high.

• Sear the steak to your preferred doneness. For most cuts, about 2 to 3 minutes per side gets you medium-rare.

• Rest the steak for a few minutes, then slice it thinly across the grain.

• In the same pan, pour in the sauce. Let it bubble for about 30 seconds so it thickens slightly and picks up the steak drippings.

• Build your bowl: rice first, then the sliced steak, then spoon that glossy sauce on top.

• Add your toppings and enjoy!