Niku Udon (Japanese Thick Noodles in Dashi Broth with Braised Beef)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 35 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Thin shabu-shabu beef and onion, glazed in soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, sit on top of thick udon in clear dashi, giving the bowl a sweet, savory topping over a light broth.
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The beef is cooked in a separate pan rather than in the soup, which keeps its glossy finish and stops the broth from turning murky. It needs only about 2 minutes once the seasoning is added, at the point where half the red has gone, or it toughens. A little dashi is held back at the start to soften the broth if it tastes too salty. Rinsing the boiled noodles with hot water clears off their surface starch so the soup stays clean. Sliced scallions finish the bowl with a fresh edge.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Thinly slice 120 g onion and finely chop 2 tablespoons scallion.
Loosen the 2 portions of udon noodles gently before cooking so the strands separate quickly later and do not break in the pot.
- 2
Add 2 tablespoons from the measured dashi and the onion to a pan and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
When the edges turn translucent, spread in 220g beef and cook until about half the red color disappears.
- 3
Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, and 1 tablespoon sugar, then lower the heat.
Turn the beef for about 2 minutes until glossy, then stop cooking before the slices tighten and become tough.
- 4
Reserve a little of the remaining measured dashi for adjusting the seasoning, then heat the rest in a pot.
When it begins to boil, add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon mirin. Simmer for 1 minute, then add the reserved hot dashi little by little if the broth tastes too salty.
- 5
Cook the udon noodles in boiling water according to the package timing.
Once the strands loosen and turn supple, rinse with hot water to remove surface starch, then drain well so the broth stays clear.
- 6
Place the drained udon in deep bowls and ladle plenty of hot broth over it.
Top with the simmered beef and onion, scatter the scallion, and serve immediately before the noodles absorb too much liquid.
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