Why Japanese recipes use thinly sliced meat

Thin slices are practical with chopsticks, cook quickly, and absorb simmering sauces well.

Many Japanese meals are eaten with chopsticks rather than a knife at the table. Thin meat is easy to pick up, easy to bite, and well suited to fast-cooked or simmered dishes.

Where the cut matters

For gyudon and butadon, I find the thinner the slices, the better the finished texture. Thin pieces also work naturally in nikujaga, sukiyaki and shabu-shabu.

How to get thin slices outside Japan

Ask a butcher to slice the meat very thinly.
Partially freeze a block of meat, then slice it carefully while it is firm.
If you cook Japanese food often, a dedicated slicer can be useful.

Use caution with knives and slicers. A partially frozen block is easier to cut, but it is still easy to slip.

The practical payoff

Once you can get thinly sliced beef or pork belly, many Japanese home dishes become easier to reproduce: gyudon, butadon, nikujaga, shogayaki and yakiniku are good places to start.