How I Cook Gyutan (Beef Tongue)! Japanese Yakiniku Style Recipe

This is an absolutely unusual but stunning take on beef tongue. Those exact words from one of my readers captures why this Gyutan Donburi might change everything about how you'll see this ingredient forever. For a printable version of this recipe, visit my website. Just google Gyutan Don's base statue to find me. First, grab 250 grams of thinly sliced beef tongue. If you're nervous about working with beef tongue, don't be. This recipe will break down every step to guide you through. Next, we will finely dice about 100 grams of the white part of Japanese leek or regular leek. Cut it in two thirds. Then cut each piece along the grain in thin slices, creating a kind of tassel effect with the top still intact. Then you can finally dice it from there. You might think this video is all about the beef tongue recipe but that's kind of not true. The star of the show is the amazing homemade negishio sauce made from this fresh leek. It is simple but flavourful and it goes well with all kinds of meat. No worries, I'll fill you in on all the exciting details about my favourite meat alternatives in a bit. Next, whisk together the sauce. In a separate bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 clove of grated garlic, half teaspoon of sea salt, half teaspoon of Chinese style chicken bouillon powder, half teaspoon of yellow miso paste, quarter teaspoon of Japanese soy sauce, and a teaspoon of ground black pepper. If you can't find naganagi, the white parts of regular leeks chopped extra finely or even green onions will work just fine. Toasted sesame oil's nutty notes are essential here so definitely don't skip it. Look for bottles labelled toasted or roasted in the Asian food style. Once everything is combined, add the leek and mix until everything is covered. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes so the flavours can blend. It's actually key for getting the flavours just right. The salt pulls moisture from the leek and the miso and garlic release their aromatics, creating a more cohesive and balanced sauce. While your sauce is chilling in the bowl, heat up a pan, preferably cast iron, on high with a piece of beef suet or a splash of high smoke point oil to grease the pan. These pans are great for getting the perfect char. If you need to use non-stick, just double check that it can handle high temperatures. While we're greasing the pan, I'll tell you about sourcing your beef tongue outside Japan. If you're looking to save some time, you might be able to find pre-sliced tongue at Asian supermarkets or you can ask your butcher to slice a whole tongue into pieces that are five millimetres thick. Don't be shy about asking, your local butcher might have frozen tongue in the back even if it's not on display. You might even be able to pre-order a fresh one with advance notice. Now the pan is ready, so let's lay the slices. For five millimetre slices, serve for one to one and a half minutes without moving them and as soon as you see those beads of juice, gently blot the surface with a paper towel. Okay, so I bought these beef tongue slices from a different butcher than usual this time and they turned out to be a bit thinner than I prefer. Look, they're shrinking right before our eyes. This is definitely a bit too thin for what I personally want for this dish. Ideally, we need them a bit thicker, so yeah, around five millimetre is really the sweet spot. If your tongue slices are a lot thicker than five millimetres, start with medium heat to ensure even cooking throughout, then finish with high heat for the final say. Now, flip those tongue slices and cook for just 30 seconds more. Don't overcook it, otherwise the meat will be tough, which is not what we want. If you're looking for a bit more smoky flavour, you can finish with a blowtorch for a few seconds, but this is totally optional. It's more of a dramatic presentation thing. Now, what I just cooked was actually half the amount and only makes one serving. I'm using a 26 centimetres pan here and trying to fit all the beef tongue surface area at once is impossible. Before we move on to the next batch, let me wipe down the pan and re-grease it with beef suet. Now, it's time for our protein mix. My wife made it pretty clear that beef tongue isn't really her thing, so I switched to a poke bowl for the second batch to keep the peace at home. If you're thinking beef tongue sounds scary or if you have family members who won't want to try it, this is your solution. Cook different proteins in separate batches and everyone will be happy. Here are some ideas for substitutions. Pork tongue is your closest substitute, smaller and leaner than beef tongue, but with similar texture and significantly lower cost. Thick sliced pork belly brings indulgent fat, classic beef steak cut into cubes offer the beefy familiarity, and chicken thigh makes for a milder family-friendly version. Just keep in mind that cooking times and methods vary depending on the alternative you choose. Time to assemble our gluten bowls. Serve rice in individual bowls, top with the seared beef tongue, then generously spoon the sauce over. Top with a sprinkle of green onions and some sesame seeds. And if you did use beef tongue or beef steak, a small blob of wasabi really takes this dish to another level. And there you have it, your homemade gyutan don that's ready to spark conversation at your next dinner with your Japan travel buddies. Each bite delivers the perfect balance of tender beef with the bright negishio sauce that makes this dish so special. Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description. Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time, and if you're ready to cook, grab the written instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up on your screen. Here we go, the link to the full recipe is on the screen for you now, and if you want to watch more similar videos, don't miss my Donburi Roundup video popping up on your screen as well. Thanks so much for watching, and I hope to see you in the next one. Bye.