Niku Udon
Niku udon is a comforting and savory Japanese noodle soup, featuring silky udon noodles in a hot dashi-based broth topped with thinly sliced, sweet-simmered beef and onions. It's a popular fast lunch or casual weeknight dinner in Japan, prized for its blend of umami-rich broth and the satisfying chew of noodles. (Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023569-niku-udon-japanese-beef-noodle-soup)
Ingredients
- 350 g udon noodles (fresh, frozen, or dried)
- 225 g thinly sliced beef (such as ribeye or shabu-shabu beef)
- 1 onion (thinly sliced)
- 3 cups (700 ml) dashi broth (homemade or instant powder dissolved in water)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sake (optional)
- 2 scallions or green onions for garnish
- Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice, for serving, optional)
Steps
- Prepare the Broth: Combine dashi, soy sauce, and mirin in a pot; bring to a simmer and keep warm.
- Cook the Beef: In a pan, sauté thinly sliced onions in a bit of oil until softened, then add the beef and cook until just browned. Season with soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and a splash of sake, letting the mixture simmer until glossy and flavorful.
- Cook Udon: Boil the udon noodles according to package instructions, then drain and rinse.
- Assemble: Divide noodles into bowls, ladle hot dashi broth over them, then top with generous portions of the beef and onion mixture.
- Garnish: Scatter sliced scallions on top and serve with shichimi togarashi if desired.