How to make butadon – Japanese rice bowls with pork and onion – hearty, comforting and topped with an egg yolk
- Donburi are simple but hearty Japanese rice bowls that are served with all kinds of toppings, from eel to tempura
- This recipe is for butadon, which comes with thinly sliced pork belly and onions topped with an egg yolk – raw, poached or fried
Butadon
Butadon, which features sliced pork and onions, is quick to make, and the recipe varies from cook to cook. I’ve seen versions without onions, for instance. Once the rice is cooked, the rest of the dish takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. You don’t need to marinate the meat, and the pork and onions are cooked together in one pot.
I like to use skinless pork belly, which, because it’s so layered, stays moist; buy a leaner cut, if you prefer, but take care not to overcook it. If you want to save time, buy pre-sliced pork – the kind for Japanese barbecue, not the thinly sliced meat for shabu-shabu/hotpot. It is easy to slice the meat yourself, though.
The amount of topping is sufficient for two moderate eaters. If you are catering for larger appetites, increase the amount of pork to 400-450 grams and increase the seasonings proportionately. The amount of onion can remain the same, and the cooking time doesn’t change. Of course, for bigger appetites you should also serve a larger portion of rice.
To top the butadon, I like to add a raw egg yolk. If you like, you can fry or poach the eggs instead, cooking them so the yolks are soft and runny.
Ingredients
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300 grams (10 ½ oz) boneless, skinless pork
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Cooking oil, if necessary
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2 small onions, about 250 grams (9 oz) in total, peeled
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5 thin peeled ginger slices
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1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
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10 grams (2 tsp) granulated sugar
