肥牛饭 Beef Rice Bowl

Paper thin slices of beef and onion simmered in a sweet and salty sauce flavored with rice wine, soy sauce, sugar and mirin. It is served poured over a bowl of hot rice. The delicious juices seep down into the rice for delicous flavor in every bite. For those of you who are familiar with Japanese Donburi dishes this is one of the many versions but with beef.

This dish was made popular in China by a Taiwanese fast food chain restaurant called 永和大王 Yong He Da Wang. They have a fairly small menu with which consists of some of the most common and popular dishes found through out China and Taiwan such as Kung Pao Chicken, Black Pepper Beef, dim sum and  Ma Pa Tofu. So I was really surprised to see a Japanese dish on their menu. Although when I was in Taiwan I ran into a lot of Japanese and Japanese inspired dishes. 

Check out the 永和大王 China Website. When it opens up it automatically starts up an advertisement video. For those of you who have never been, this will give you an idea of what the food served there is like. I find the comparison between the food on the 永和大王 menu and that on the the popular U.S Chinese Food Chain Restaurant called  Panda Expess's menu very interesting. I wonder why ethnic food get changed so much when in goes international? Have you ever wondered that and know the answer?

Any of you who have been to Taiwan or China, Does this look familiar? What was your favorite dish to order there?

Image found at xc001jm.com/yh/about/23563.html

Ingredients

600 grams hot pot beef or chipped steak (sirloin cut paper thin)
2 small-medium onions


Sesonings 1
1 Tbsp. bonito flakes or piece of dried kelp
1 cup water
1 tbsp. minced ginger

Seasonings 2
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet seasoned rice wine)
1/4 cup rice wine
1/4 cup water

If you can't find hot pot beef or chipped steak choose a good quality roast or steak with some fat (need some fat or the beef will be tough) in the freezer for two hour then remove and slice as paper thin as you can get it. This one I found at my local Asian market, is was not the best quality meat. I think I will look for another brand next time.

 Meanwhile thinly slice two onions, mince the ginger...

 ...and mix together 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp. sugar, 1/4 cup mirin and 1/4 cup rice wine (Sesaoning 2).

Heat 1 cup water and 1 tbsp. bonito flakes (you could also substitute a piece of dried kelp) and 1 Tbsp.  minced ginger (Seasoning 1) over medium heat, add the onions, cover and simmer until they are soft.

Meanwhile Heat 2 cups of water over high heat until boiling. Parboil the beef until no longer pink (1-2 minutes-do not overcook!), remove, drain and rinse.

 Toss the beef with the onions.

Add the mixture of 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp. sugar, 1/4 cup mirin, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup rice wine that was prepared during prep.

Cover and turn the heat to low and simmer 1-2 minutes.

 Remove the lid and toss once more

Pour over bowls of hot rice. If you like you can serve with thinly sliced pickled ginger like they do in Japan or not as it is served in China.

Yum! I love the favors in this dish. Delicious comfort food and so easy and quick to cook up. Perfect for a weeknight meal or quick and satisfying lunch. What is your favorite comfort food?

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