Tanindon (他人丼, beef-and-egg rice bowl)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small donburi pan or oyakodon nabe with lid, or an 8-inch skillet with lid
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Rice cooker or heavy pot
• •Deep donburi bowls

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. Put it in the cold water and warm it slowly over low heat, about 10 minutes, until the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides of the pot. Lift the konbu out before the water boils. That pale bloom on the kelp is flavor, not dirt, and boiling pulls bitterness and a slick texture into a stock that should stay clean.

   You're steeping the konbu, not boiling it. The rule is only the shortest way to say protect the clarity.
2. 2

   Add the bonito

   Bring the water to a gentle boil, add the katsuobushi all at once, then take the pot off the heat. Leave it alone for 2 to 3 minutes, until the flakes sink. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cloth and let it drip naturally. Don't squeeze, because squeezing presses strong, oily flavors into the clear stock you just made.

3. 3

   Prepare the beef

   Have the rice cooked and hot before you start the topping, because the egg waits for no one. Cut the beef into bite-size lengths if the slices are long. If you're slicing your own beef, chill it until firm and cut across the grain as thinly as you can. Thin slices cook before the egg tightens; thick ones stay chewy and make the bowl work harder than it should.

4. 4

   Mix egg and broth

   Beat the eggs lightly with chopsticks, only 6 or 8 strokes, leaving clear streaks of white and gold. In a measuring cup, combine 3/4 cup of the fresh dashi with the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Taste it. It should be a little stronger than you'd want to sip, because the rice and egg will soften it.

   Don't beat the egg smooth. The streaks set at different speeds and give the finished bowl its soft, marbled surface.
5. 5

   Simmer the onion

   Put the sliced onion and seasoned dashi in a small donburi pan or an 8-inch skillet. Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion turns translucent at the edges but still holds its shape. The onion needs a head start. Beef cooks quickly, egg faster still.

6. 6

   Add the beef

   Spread the beef over the onion in a loose single layer, separating any folded pieces with chopsticks. Simmer gently for 1 to 2 minutes, turning once, until the surface loses its raw red; it will finish under the egg. Skim any gray foam if it gathers. A hard boil toughens the beef and muddies the broth, and this bowl has no reason to shout.

7. 7

   Pour the egg

   Pour about two-thirds of the beaten egg around the pan in a thin stream, covering the beef and onion rather than dumping it in the center. Cover and cook for 30 to 45 seconds, until the edge is set but the middle is still wet. Pour in the remaining egg, scatter the mitsuba or scallion over the top, cover again for 10 to 20 seconds, then take the pan off the heat while the surface still looks glossy. Residual heat finishes the egg. If your table needs fully set egg, cook it a little longer and say so plainly.

   Two pours give you structure below and tenderness above. One long cook gives you a scramble, and that is a different lunch.
8. 8

   Fill the bowls

   Divide the hot rice between two warmed donburi bowls. Slide the beef, onion, and egg over the rice with enough broth to season the grains, not drown them. Finish with shichimi tōgarashi if you like. Serve at once, while the egg is soft and the rice is still carrying the broth down into itself.

Chef Tips

• •Buy beef already sliced for sukiyaki or shabu-shabu if your market sells it. The exact cut matters less than even thinness and a little fat, because the fat keeps the beef tender in the short simmer.
• •Don't use a heavy sauce to cover tired beef. If the slices look gray or smell dull, change the dish. Nothing hidden is the better rule, even on a weeknight.
• •A small donburi pan is pleasant because it lets you slide one portion neatly onto the rice. An 8-inch skillet with a lid works well for two servings, provided you keep the beef in a loose layer.
• •A quick dashi changes the bowl. Instant powder gives salt first and depth afterward, if at all; here the broth is simple enough that you can taste the difference.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated. Warm only what you need and don't boil it hard, or the clean aroma fades.
• •The onion can be sliced several hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Beat the eggs just before cooking so the whites and yolks keep their useful streaks.
• •The topping is best made just before serving. Reheated egg tightens, and tanindon should be soft where it meets the rice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 520g)