What is beef ojyu?

This traditional Japanese bento box has been around for centuries and is still enjoyed by many today. In this article, we’ll explore the history and ingredients of Beef Ojyu, and why it’s a must-try for any foodie looking to expand their palate.

So sit back, relax, and get ready to learn all about this delicious dish!

Beef Ojyu is a traditional Japanese dish that is served in a bento box. The name “Ojyu” means “big box,” and it refers to the size of the bento box that is used to serve the dish. The box is typically made of wood or lacquer and is divided into compartments to hold different types of food.

The main component of Beef Ojyu is, of course, beef. Thinly sliced beef is cooked in a broth made from dashi, white wine, and sake. The broth is then poured over the beef and served with rice and various side dishes.

The side dishes can vary depending on the region and the season, but they typically include vegetables such as spinach, carrots, and mushrooms. Some versions of Beef Ojyu also include seafood such as shrimp or scallops.

Beef Ojyu has a long and interesting history that is closely tied to the development of Japan’s culinary culture. The dish can be traced back to the Edo period (1603-1868), a time when Japan was experiencing significant cultural and economic growth.

During this period, the bento box became a popular way for people to enjoy meals on-the-go. These boxes were often filled with rice, vegetables, and small amounts of meat or fish. As the popularity of beef grew in Japan, it was eventually incorporated into these bento boxes in the form of Beef Ojyu.

The dish was originally known as “gyudon,” which translates to “beef bowl.” It was a simple meal consisting of thinly sliced beef cooked in a soy sauce-based broth and served over rice. However, as Japan’s culinary culture continued to evolve, so did Beef Ojyu.

In the early 1900s, Japanese chefs began experimenting with new flavors and ingredients. They started using dashi broth instead of soy sauce, and added white wine and sake to create a more complex flavor profile. They also began incorporating different types of vegetables and seafood into the dish.

Today, Beef Ojyu is considered a classic Japanese dish that is enjoyed by people all over the world. Its rich history and unique flavor make it a true culinary treasure that is sure to delight anyone who tries it.

Making Beef Ojyu at home is fairly simple, and with a little bit of practice, you can easily recreate this delicious Japanese dish. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making Beef Ojyu at home:

Ingredients:

– 1 pound of thinly sliced beef

– 2 cups of dashi broth

– 1/4 cup of white wine

– 1/4 cup of sake

– 2 tablespoons of sugar

– 2 tablespoons of soy sauce

– 1 tablespoon of mirin

– 1 clove of garlic, minced

– Cooked rice

– Assorted vegetables (spinach, carrots, mushrooms, etc.)

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, combine the dashi broth, white wine, sake, sugar, soy sauce, and mirin. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

2. Add the minced garlic to the pot and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes.

3. Add the thinly sliced beef to the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the beef is cooked through.

4. Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside.

5. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove any solids.

6. Return the broth to the pot and bring it to a boil.

7. Arrange the cooked rice in a bento box or a large bowl.

8. Place the cooked beef on top of the rice.

9. Pour the hot broth over the beef and rice.

10. Add assorted vegetables on top of the beef and rice.

11. Serve hot and enjoy!

Beef Ojyu is a delicious and filling meal that is perfect for lunch or dinner. With this easy-to-follow recipe, you can enjoy this traditional Japanese dish in the comfort of your own home.

There are many variations of Beef Ojyu, each with its own unique twist on this classic dish. Some popular variations include:

1. Gyudon-style Beef Ojyu: This version of Beef Ojyu is similar to the Gyudon dish mentioned earlier. It consists of thinly sliced beef and onions simmered in a sweet and savory dashi broth and served over rice.

2. Seafood Beef Ojyu: As mentioned earlier, some versions of Beef Ojyu include seafood. This variation features shrimp or scallops cooked alongside the beef in the broth.

3. Vegetable Beef Ojyu: For those who prefer a vegetarian option, Vegetable Beef Ojyu is a great choice. This version includes a variety of vegetables such as spinach, carrots, and mushrooms, cooked alongside the beef in the broth.

4. Cheese Beef Ojyu: This variation adds a cheesy twist to the classic dish. Thinly sliced beef is cooked in the broth as usual, but then melted cheese is added on top before serving.

5. Spicy Beef Ojyu: For those who like a little heat in their food, Spicy Beef Ojyu is a great option. Thinly sliced beef is cooked in a spicy broth made with chili peppers, soy sauce, and other seasonings.

No matter which variation you choose, Beef Ojyu is a delicious and filling meal that is perfect for lunch or dinner.

If you are looking to try Beef Ojyu in Japan, it can be found in many traditional Japanese restaurants and bento shops. However, the dish may not be available at every establishment, so it is best to do some research beforehand or ask locals for recommendations.

One popular chain that serves Beef Ojyu is Yoshinoya, which specializes in Japanese beef bowls. Their version of Beef Ojyu features tender beef and sweet onions cooked in a savory sweet sauce over a bed of rice.

Another option is to visit the city of Kobe, which is famous for its Kobe beef. While Kobe beef can be expensive, there are affordable options for trying it, such as visiting restaurants in the Sannomiya neighborhood during lunchtime.

If you are outside of Japan and still want to try Beef Ojyu, there are some Japanese restaurants and bento shops around the world that may offer the dish. It is also possible to make the dish at home with the right ingredients and recipe.

Beef, the main component of Beef Ojyu, is a good source of protein and other essential nutrients. It is rich in zinc, which is important for body growth and maintenance, and selenium, an essential trace element that serves a variety of functions in your body. Beef is also an excellent source of iron, which is essential for blood formation and helps prevent anemia.

If ramen is like the hamburger of Japan, gyudon—steamed rice topped with beef and onions simmered in sake and soy sauce—is its hot dog: a quick, easy meal that's equally at home at the food court or on your kitchen table.

You know that scene at the beginning of Saturday Night Fever where John Travolta orders a couple of slices of pizza from a sidewalk window, stacks them on top of each other, gives them the New York fold, and struts down the street, meal in hand? That is a scene you are unlikely to see in Japan, and it's not because disco wasn't popular (it was), or because Japanese people have a thing against John Travolta (they don't), or even because they don't love pizza (they do).

The issue is the whole walking-while-eating thing. It just doesn't happen in Japan. Going to the 7-Eleven to pick up some pizza-flavored steamed buns? You're taking them home before you dig in. Hitting up Starbucks for a coffee? You're standing there and finishing the coffee before you step back out on the street.

Because of this, the traditional fast-food culture in Japan is quite different from that of the US. Fewer sandwiches and handheld snacks, more hastily slurped or shoveled bowls of food. All this is changing as cultural exchange with the West increases, of course, but ramen, curry, and rice bowls still remain staples of the quick-dining scene.

Head into any Japanese shopping-mall food court (or the food court of a Japanese chain in the US, like Mitsuwa or Yoshinoya) and I guarantee gyudon will be on the menu. What's fantastic is that it's also incredibly easy to make at home, requiring only a single pan and virtually no experience or skill whatsoever. If you can boil water, you can make gyudon.

There are a couple of keys to good gyudon. First is getting the beef. It's typically made with ribeye or chuck that's been shaved extra thin on a meat slicer. You'll be able to find good meat for gyudon in Japanese supermarkets, but if you don't have access to that, any beef intended for Philly cheesesteaks will work (even the frozen stuff!). Alternatively, you can buy a chuck steak, place it in the freezer until it's very firm but not frozen solid, then slice it as thinly as you can with a knife. It's okay if the meat ends up shredding a bit. Perfection is not what we're going for here.

For the onions, I like to slice them radially into slivers rather than rings. I do that by first cutting off the stem and the root, then slicing the onion in half from pole to pole (the knife should go through the spaces where the stem and the root used to be). After that, I lay each onion half flat on the cutting board and slice it from pole to pole, angling the knife so that it's always cutting toward the center of the onion.

If you found that hard to follow, don't worry. It's just me being overly anal about something that ultimately makes very little difference in what is meant to be a simple dish.

Once the onions are sliced, I place them in a pot and cover them with a mixture of dashi (the basic Japanese broth made with kelp and smoked bonito), sake, soy sauce, and sugar. This sweet-savory-salty combo is the backbone of Japanese cooking, and you'll see it come up time and time again.

Homemade dashi is all well and good if you've got some already made, and even making it from scratch takes no more than a few minutes, but this is a case in which powdered Hondashi will do just fine, given the other strongly flavored ingredients.

If you happen to enjoy braised daikon, you can also add slices of daikon radish with the onions at this point. It all simmers together just until the onions are tender.

Next, in goes the beef. Because it's so thinly sliced, it will cook very quickly, losing its red color almost instantly. The goal is to cook it all down until the broth reduces to an intensely flavored sauce that penetrates the meat. With a typical braise, this can take hours. With the thinly shaved beef in gyudon, it takes just a couple of minutes. I like to stir in some grated ginger during the last minute or so of simmering, which preserves some of the ginger's fresh heat.

Once the beef is cooked, I divide it all between a few bowls of rice. (Confession time: I didn't even cook this rice from dried. I used one of those precooked, microwaveable trays. Slightly mushier than fresh rice, but with all the liquid from the gyudon, it honestly makes little difference.) You can eat it as is, but I like to add a little pile of hot beni-shoga (pickled ginger), some sliced scallions, and a pinch of togarashi (Japanese chile powder).

I've never met a bowl of gyudon that couldn't be improved with a runny poached egg, either.

If you want to go all in, do it the Japanese way, with a raw egg broken on top and stirred in, tamago kake gohan–style. It's not for everyone, so I'll understand if you want to pass on it. I'll judge you only about as much as I judge people who don't like sauerkraut on their hot dogs.

Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish that is prepared and served in the nabemono ( Japanese hot pot) style. Make delicious Yoshinoya Beef Bowl at home, enjoy the savory and juicy sliced beef over.