Joshū Ōta Yakisoba (上州太田焼そば)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide iron griddle or large skillet
• •Long cooking chopsticks or tongs
• •Small bowl for mixing the sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the sauce

   Stir together the chūnō sauce, Worcestershire-style sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar if using. Taste it now. It should be darker and sharper than you want the finished noodles, because the cabbage will sweeten it and the pan will round it off.

2. 2

   Loosen the noodles

   If the noodles are tightly packed, warm them briefly in their bag or rinse them with hot water and drain well. Thick Ōta-style noodles need loosening before they meet the pan, or you'll break them while trying to separate them. Keep them springy, not waterlogged.

3. 3

   Cook the pork

   Heat a wide skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and add the oil. Spread in the pork and cook until the fat turns glossy and the edges begin to brown. This gives the cabbage and noodles enough fat to carry the sauce without making the dish greasy.

4. 4

   Add the cabbage

   Add the cabbage and cook for two minutes, tossing only enough to coat it in the pork fat. You want the ribs still a little firm and the leaves just wilted. If the cabbage collapses completely, the dish loses the sweet crunch that keeps the dark sauce from feeling heavy.

5. 5

   Set the noodles

   Add the noodles with the water and spread them across the pan. Let them sit for a minute before tossing. That pause lets the underside pick up a little color, and the small splash of water softens the strands so the sauce can cling evenly.

6. 6

   Sauce and finish

   Pour the sauce around the noodles, not all in one puddle, and toss until every strand is dark and glossy. Cook another minute so the sauce tightens against the pan and coats the noodles instead of pooling below them. Serve in a low mound, dust with aonori, and set the beni shōga to the side.

Chef Tips

• •Use thick steamed yakisoba noodles if you can find them. Thin noodles will still make supper, but they won't give the chew that marks Ōta's style.
• •Cabbage should be fresh, heavy, and crisp at the cut face. If it smells tired, don't ask the sauce to hide it. Choose another vegetable dish and keep this one honest.
• •The sauce should cling. If it pools in the pan, cook a little longer. If the noodles look dry before they darken, add water one teaspoon at a time, not another flood of sauce.

Advance Preparation

• •The sauce can be mixed up to three days ahead and kept refrigerated.
• •Cut the cabbage a few hours ahead and keep it chilled in a covered container. Cook the noodles just before serving, while the pan is hot and the cabbage is crisp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 315g)