So after a couple weeks of traveling through chilly Central Europe, I’m home again and what do you think I’m craving? Asian Noodle Soups! But more specifically- Beef Udon! This Beef Udon is everything good in a bowl. Flavorful, simple, fast, and oh so comforting. Udon noodles are so fabulously slippery and chewy, staying the perfect texture all the way to the last bite. And this Beef Udon dish is a keeper. Juicy bites of beef, a tangle of noodles, a next level savory broth, and some fun garnishes create the perfect bowl.
I know we’re getting ready for summer, but Asians eat hot soupy noodles year round. It’s not reserved for wintry months. So whether you have AC 24/7 like we do in Miami, are still experiencing the last vestiges of a cold spring, or believe in sweating out toxins, this Beef Udon will hit the spot. So let’s get into it.
Beef Udon Starts with Dashi
Beef Udon has 3 separate, but quick, components to cook. The first component is a dashi stock. If you made one of the homemade dashi stocks I posted recently, this is an excellent use for it! (If not, you can still make Beef Udon by whipping up a dashi with some dashi powder mixed with water or with dried anchovy dashi packets.)
The second component is a fast stir fry of the beef and onions. I use shaved beef (like the kind used for Philly cheese steaks) that I purchased from Trader Joes. Any tender shaved or thinly sliced beef is fine. You can either purchase it or cut it yourself. If you’re slicing the beef at home, put the beef in the freezer for an hour or so. The semi frozen beef will be much easier to slice that a chunk of swishy meat.
Once the onions are cooked, I move them aside to make room for the beef. Whenever cooking ground meat or hefty amounts of sliced meat, I always try and leave it alone for a minute or two in the pan, to try and get some sear. It’s very hard at home to generate enough heat to burn off moisture and not steam meat, particularly if you have other items in the pan. Cranking up the heat may solve the meat steaming issue, but the other ingredients will scorch. So for me, the solution is to keep the heat moderately high, but allow the meat to sear before stirring it around.
Try this technique on other recipes and see if you like the results. It’s easier and more forgiving than high heat stir-frying.
Once you add the sauce ingredients, stir to coat the beef and then turn the stove off. I prefer a slightly pink beef, plus the residual heat in the pan will continue cooking the beef as well.
Lastly, we head to the third component, which is of course to make the udon noodles. There are two types of udon noodles. Dry and fresh. The fresh ones, which are what I’m using here, come either frozen or vacuum packed, which can be stored at room temperature. I like the frozen noodles best. They have the best chewy texture and only require quick heating as they are already cooked. If you are using vacuum packed noodles, follow the same instructions. However, you will want to proceed with package instructions if you are using dry udon noodles.
While the noodles are cooking I quickly prepare some garnishes. I like to use scallions for their fresh bite and I slice up some Japanese fish cakes for their fun chewy texture and a bit of color. (Love the delicious versality of fish cakes? Try them in this braised pepper dish, in Shabu Shabu, or Japanese Oden Stew.)
Now it’s time to put all three components together, then garnish, and your Beef Udon is ready to serve!
I like to sprinkle a little schichimi togarashi for a little heat.
Now dig in and enjoy- It’s good to be home 🙂
Love noodles as much as I do? Try some of these other Funky Asian Kitchen faves: Sukiyaki, Mushroom Japchae, or Pancit.
Try this Beef Udon tonight, and let me know what you think. Don’t forget to tag us @funkyasiankitchen, we love seeing your creations!
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Beef Udon
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 2
- Category: noodles
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
Beef Udon:
- 1 Tablespoon neutral oil
- ¼ large onion
- 8 ounces thinly sliced beef (rib eye, tenderloin, or sirloin are all good choices)
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 servings udon noodles (7 ounces dry noodles or 1 pound frozen noodles)
Udon Broth:
- 3 cups of dashi Japanese soup stock
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons mirin
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Toppings (optional but nice to have):
- 1 green onion
- 4 slices kamaboko fish cakes
- Shichimi togarashi chile served on the side
Instructions
- Put the dashi in a pot and bring to a simmer. Add the soy sauce, mirin, and salt. Stir to combine. Put a lid over the pot and keep it on low heat while you finish the other components.
- Peel and slice the onion thinly. Set aside.
- Trim the scallions and slice thin. Set aside.
- Slice the kamaboko and reserve the rest for another purpose. (You can freeze it if you do not have an immediate use for it.)
- Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat for several minutes. Add the oil and the onions. Sprinkle lightly with salt and stir fry for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Push the onions to the side and add the beef in one layer. Let it cook untouched for 1 minute and then stir fry for another minute.
- Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar and continue to cook for another minute or two, making sure to coat the meat well with the sauce as it cooks. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the dry noodles according to the package. If you’re using frozen noodles, cook them for 1 minute. Drain the noodles and portion them into two deep bowls.
- Top the noodles with the broth, beef, and the garnishes.
- Serve Beef Udon immediately.
Notes
*If you do not have dashi you can combine 3 cups of water with 2 teaspoons dashi powder or 1 dashi packet and continue with the recipe.
Keywords: udon, noodles, dashi, beef, fish cakes
