Niku udon (Japanese beef noodle bowls)
Japanese cuisine · J. Kenji López-Alt · ♥ 11K likes · 406.5K views · 18 min video
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Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- powdered dashi
Dissolve the powdered dashi in water for a rich dashi stock.
- 3½–4 cup dashi
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 whole onion
To about three and a half to four cups of dashi add a couple tablespoons each of mirin and soy sauce; taste and add salt only if the dashi needs it. Keep warm on a back burner.
Trim the onion of any slimy bits and slice; a previously frozen onion is fine because it is simmered soft.
Using a frozen onion
- ¾ lb thinly shaved ribeye
- ½ cup sake
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
Combine the beef and onions (no browning) with about half a cup of sake, a couple tablespoons each of mirin, soy sauce and sugar, and some of the dashi soup base.
Simmer until the beef is tender and starting to fall apart - about half an hour if there is time, about 10 minutes at minimum.
- fresh udon noodles
- scallion greens
- ice water
Slice the scallion greens thin and put them in a little ice water to rest and curl.
Cook the udon noodles in a pot of water for a couple of minutes.
Noodle choices and swaps without alcohol
Variation: in hot weather, chill the cooked noodles in an ice bath and serve everything cold; the beef mixture can also go on rice as gyudon.
Lift the noodles with chopsticks, shake so they lie flat and drape them into an aligned bed in the bowl so the beef sits on top.
- togarashi
Top with the beef mixture, the drained curled scallions and togarashi.
Garnishing and tasting