Niku udon
Japanese Classics
This is a “belt and braces” niku udon recipe where every component is made from scratch, but even so it’s actually very easy to make. These might look like a strange list ingredients to us in Australia, but in Japanese households these are mostly just pantry staples.
A simple, seasoned stock, some quickly fried beef and a few toppings combined together with frozen udon noodles. Frozen udon is the best udon available in Australia for home cooking. It’s already cooked so you just need to place the frozen udon into boiling water until it separates and has warmed through. It has an excellent texture.
If that still all sounds too hard, there are many, many shortcuts you can take.
For the dashi you can use packet dashi (small packets like tea bags) or instant dashi and just add the dashi seasonings to make the soup base. Alternatively you can dilute bottled tsuyu (available from Japanese grocers) to make the soup base without having to make a separate dashi. Bottled tsuyu is a very popular shortcut in Japanese homes for making everything from simmered dishes, oden, and noodle dishes like this one.
This version also fries the beef separately, but you can also simmer the beef and spring onions in the stock.
Cooking time
<1hr
Serves
4
Ingredients
- 4 x 250 g frozen udon cakes
- Dashi
- 6 niboshi (dried anchovies or other small fish)
- 2 litres water
- 1 piece kombu
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
- a handful of bonito flakes
- Dashi seasonings
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tsp sugar
- salt, to season
- Beef topping
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 thick spring onions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
- 250 g thinly sliced wagyu
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- Additional toppings (optional), to serve
- ½ stick naruto, thinly sliced on a diagonal
- 2 thin spring onions, thinly sliced in rounds
- mitsuba, or watercress
- shichimi tougarashi (Japanese seven spice)
Method
- To make the dashi, prepare the niboshi by removing the head and black intestines. This is done by pinching it off with fingers. Place the niboshi, water, kombu and shiitake in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove the kombu when the water starts to steam. Bring to a simmer, then add the bonito flakes and turn off the heat. Allow to stand for 20 minutes, then strain the dashi. Add the dashi seasonings, taste and adjust as needed. It should be salty and slightly sweet. If you want a faster method to make this soup base, refer to the notes.
- For the beef, heat a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and fry the beef until browned. Add the spring onions and toss to combine, then add the soy sauce, mirin and sugar and simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the beef.
- Boil a separate pan of water and simmer the naruto slices (if using). Remove and drain. Add the frozen udon to the pot and simmer until just separated and warmed through.
- Place the udon into serving bowls, top with the soup stock, then place the beef on top. Add the naruto, round-sliced spring onions and mitsuba or watercress. Serve with shichimi tougarashi.
