I enjoy the convenience of fast food culture, but recreating its deliciousness is a different kind of satisfaction. Cooking is not just a mundane task; it can change your perception of life and nourish your loved ones with soulful dishes. A tasty beef bowl with its flavorful sauce, topped with a perfectly half-cooked onsen egg and sprinkled with shichimi powder.
Here’s a recipe for homemade shichimi powder, you can find the recipe here:
https://www.beanpanda.com/54317
An onsen egg is made by placing an egg in natural hot springs, utilizing the temperature of around 70°C to cook the egg to a semi-cooked state. The egg white becomes translucent and jelly-like, while the yolk remains runny. Unlike soft-boiled eggs, where the white is cooked and the yolk is runny, the onsen egg has a semi-solid white and a custard-like yolk.
Ingredients:
- 400g shabu-shabu beef (Angus beef for better flavor)
- 1 onion
- 45ml Gyudon sauce (imitation Yoshinoya beef bowl sauce)
- 1 onsen egg
- 15ml Chinese rice wine (1 tablespoon), added during beef stir-frying
Homemade Gyudon Sauce:
- 120ml soy sauce (traditional brewed soy sauce is less overpowering in flavor and more refreshing. If using commonly available chemically brewed or mixed soy sauce, reduce the amount of soy sauce as it tends to be saltier)
- 30ml Chinese black vinegar (3-year aged)
- 22g Demerara raw cane sugar
- 15ml Chinese rice wine (1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon shio koji (salt koji)
- 300ml water
【Onsen Egg♦Instruction】
1. Take the eggs directly from the refrigerator without thawing. To prevent the eggshells from cracking due to temperature changes during heating, gently pierce a small hole in the “blunt end” of the egg using an egg pricker.
2. Different brands of sous vide machines may have different temperature settings. Some can be set at 65°C, while others only offer constant temperatures of 60°C or 70°C. For a sous vide machine set at a constant temperature of 65°C, place the eggs directly from the refrigerator into room temperature water in a pot. Heat the water to 65°C and start the timer for 15 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water.
3. For a sous vide machine set at a constant temperature of 60°C or 70°C, place the eggs directly from the refrigerator into room temperature water in a pot. Do not use hot water.
4. Gently place the chilled eggs into the pot using tongs or a slotted spoon. For 1 liter of water, do not exceed 4 eggs, and make sure the eggs are not touching each other to avoid collisions.
5. For the first attempt, use a thermometer to check if the sous vide machine’s temperature is accurate. Heat the water to 65°C and start the timer for 15 minutes. During this time, the water temperature will continue to rise to 68°C. Immediately adjust the temperature setting to 60°C without allowing the water temperature to exceed 69°C. Once the eggs are cooked, remove them from the water and place them in a prepared bowl of ice water to cool for 5 minutes. The eggs are ready when they are no longer hot to the touch.
The yolk sets between 65-70°C, while the egg white starts to set at 58°C and is completely set at 80°C. To achieve an onsen egg with a runny yolk, the water temperature should be maintained between 65-68°C.
6. I believe the key to successful onsen eggs is temperature control. Take a look at the difference between water temperatures of 68°C and 70°C:
- 20 minutes at 68°C: The eggs are cooked for a longer time, but the yolk is still runny. With a slight touch, the runny yolk flows out.
- 15 minutes at 70°C: The yolk is semi-set, the egg white becomes jelly-like, and the yolk is firm. Even when flipped a few times, it doesn’t break.
As you can see, there is only a 2°C difference between a runny and semi-set yolk. Temperature control is crucial.
7. The variety of eggs, their size, and the performance of the cooking equipment can affect the cooking time for onsen eggs. If you are unsure about the doneness of the onsen egg, you can start by testing one egg. Here are three scenarios:
- If some parts of the egg white are still transparent when opened, it means it is undercooked. You can heat the remaining eggs for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- If the temperature remains the same, extend the cooking time by 2 minutes. The egg whitecontinues to cook even after being removed from the water bath, so it’s better to slightly undercook it if you prefer a runny yolk.
- If the yolk is fully solidified, it means it is overcooked. Reduce the cooking time for the remaining eggs.
【Beef Bowl Sauce♦Instruction】
1. 小鍋裡放入清水、Demerara 原蔗糖、自製鹽麴、雙蒸米酒、釀造醬油、3 年窖藏釀造黑醋
2. 攪拌均勻，小火加熱至剛剛沸騰，讓米酒的酒精蒸發，熬煮後只留下酒香沒有酒精，起鍋，待稍涼後放入玻璃瓶，冰箱冷藏約 3 個月，隨時取用
【Beef Bowl Sauce♦Instruction】
1. Slice the onion thinly.
2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add a small amount of oil. Sauté the sliced onions until they become translucent and slightly caramelized.
3. Add the shabu-shabu beef slices to the pan and stir-fry until they are cooked to your desired doneness. You can add a tablespoon of Chinese rice wine to enhance the flavor while stir-frying the beef.
4. Once the beef is cooked, add the gyudon sauce to the pan and stir to coat the beef and onions evenly. Let it simmer for a minute or two to allow the flavors to meld together.
5. While the beef and onions are simmering, prepare the onsen egg. Gently crack the egg into a bowl or plate, making sure not to break the yolk.
6. Carefully place the onsen egg on top of the beef and onions in the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for about 1 minute to warm up the egg without fully cooking it.
7. Remove the lid and turn off the heat. The onsen egg should be slightly runny but warmed through.
8. Serve the gyudon beef bowl by placing a portion of rice in a bowl and topping it with the beef, onions, and onsen egg. Sprinkle some shichimi powder on top for an extra kick of flavor.
9. Enjoy your homemade gyudon beef bowl with onsen egg!