Beef Udon, or Niku (which literally translates to meat) Udon to me, is a hot bowl of comfort. Udon refers to the thick, chewy, flour-based noodle. The udon noodles are usually served in a delicious sweet and savory broth. Super easy and quick to make, you’ll never want to pay $15+ for a bowl at a restaurant again.
Niku Udon
Ingredients
Beef and Other Toppings
- 1 tbsp Neutral Oil
- ½ lbs Thinly Sliced Beef (I use shaved beef flank from Trader Joe's)
- ½ tsp Grated Ginger (I use the kind that comes in a tube)
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- ½ tbsp Mirin
- 2 Eggs (Soft boiled)
- 1 tbsp Dried Wakame (optional)
- 1 Green Onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Udon and Broth
- 2 cups Dashi
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Mirin
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Sake
- Pinch of salt (depending on taste preference)
- 2 packs Udon (frozen or dry)
Instructions
Prepare the toppings
- Soak the wakame (dried seaweed) in a small bowl with lukewarm water to let it bloom
- Thinly slice the green onions, then set aside
- Bring a pot of water to a boil
- Use a slotted spoon to gently lower 2 eggs into the boiling water
- Boil eggs for 6.5-7 minutes, adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle boil
- Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water and chill eggs to stop cooking, about 2 min
- Peel the eggs, cut in half and set aside
Prepare the Broth
- In a small saucepan, add the 2cups of dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and sake and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat
- Taste the broth and adjust seasoning as needed. Cover, and keep on low heat
Cook the Meat
- Cut the thinly sliced beef into bite-sized pieces
- Heat the oil in a pan
- Add the meat with ginger and let brown, breaking up the meat into smaller pieces
- Once the meat is browned, add the 1 tbsp soy sauce and ½ tbsp mirin and continue to cook, letting the sauce thicken
Cook the Udon*
- Bring a pot of water to a boil
- Once boiling, cook the udon. It will only take 1-2minutes if you're using frozen noodles, follow package instructions if you're using dried noodles
- Drain the water, then transfer noodles into deep serving bowls
Assemble
- Top the noodles with the beef, eggs (optional), green onions (optional), wakame (optional)
- Pour the broth over the bowl and serve
Notes
*Cook times for the udon will vary depending on if you use dried or frozen udon. Frozen udon will only take a few minutes to cook, while dry udon, much like dry pasta, will take roughly 10min to prepare. If you're using dry udon, start cooking the noodle before cooking the beef.
