Steps

1. Thinly slice half of 1 onion, cutting against the grain.
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2. Cut the other half of the onion into wedges.
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3. Finely slice 1 clove of ginger.
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4. Combine 2 cups of water, 2 tbsp of sugar, 3 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of mirin, and 3 tbsp of sake in a pot and bring to a boil. [Here's the secret!] Using dashi stock will make it even more delicious.
   🕒 01:44
5. While the broth is still cold, add 200-250g of beef, separating the slices, into the pot. [Here's the secret!] Simmering the meat from cold broth makes it tender. Thinly sliced beef can easily clump together, so separate it before adding.
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6. Once the broth starts to simmer and scum begins to form, thoroughly skim off the scum. [Here's the secret!] Removing the scum thoroughly results in a clean, sweet gyudon.
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7. Add the thinly sliced onion and the finely sliced ginger to the pot after removing the scum.
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8. Reduce the heat and simmer, ensuring the meat is not exposed to the surface of the broth, by covering it with the thinly sliced onion and ginger. [Here's the secret!] This step has three benefits: 'prevents the surface of the meat from hardening,' 'makes the meat tender by simmering with thinly sliced onion,' and 'eliminates the beefy smell with ginger.'
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9. Simmer until the thinly sliced onion becomes tender and the beef becomes tender.
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10. Add the wedged onion to the pot and simmer until it reaches your desired tenderness. [Here's the secret!] The thinly sliced onion serves to tenderize the meat and make the broth delicious, while the wedged onion provides texture as a topping.
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11. If you have time, letting it cool once and then reheating it just before serving will make it even more delicious.
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12. Serve warm rice in bowls, and top with the simmered beef and onion.
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13. Garnish with red pickled ginger to taste and shichimi togarashi to taste as desired, and it's ready.
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