Niku Udon (肉うどん)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium pot for dashi
• •Cloth-lined fine-mesh strainer
• •Small saucepan for the beef topping
• •Large pot for warming udon
• •Deep udon bowls

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. That pale bloom on the surface is flavor, not dirt. Put the konbu in 5 cups cold water and bring it up slowly over low heat, about ten minutes. Pull it out when the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides of the pot. Boil the konbu and the stock turns bitter and a little slick, which is a poor trade for impatience.

   You're coaxing flavor from the kelp, not extracting it by force. Gentle heat keeps the dashi clear.
2. 2

   Add the flakes

   Bring the water just to a gentle boil, add the katsuobushi all at once, and take the pot off the heat. Let the flakes sink on their own for two or three minutes. Don't stir. Stirring clouds the stock and pulls out stronger flavors than this bowl needs.

3. 3

   Strain the dashi

   Strain the dashi through a cloth-lined sieve and let it drip by itself. Don't squeeze the flakes. Squeezing presses out oily, harsh notes, and the clear broth is what you've been guarding from the start. Measure out 1/2 cup for the beef and keep 4 cups for the soup.

4. 4

   Simmer the beef

   In a small pan, combine 1/2 cup dashi, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons mirin, the sugar, and sake. Bring it to a quiet simmer, then add the sliced beef in loose handfuls, separating the pieces as they go in. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, just until the beef loses its raw color and turns glossy. Thin beef toughens if it boils hard, so keep the bubbles small and let the fat melt rather than seize.

   A little fat is your friend here. It carries the sweet soy seasoning into the soup without needing a heavy sauce.
5. 5

   Season the soup

   Put the 4 cups dashi in a clean pot with the usukuchi, 1 tablespoon mirin, and salt. Warm it gently and taste. It should be savory and clear, a little lighter than the beef topping because the two will meet in the bowl. If it tastes flat, add a pinch of salt before adding more soy, or the broth will darken before it deepens.

6. 6

   Warm the udon

   Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and add the frozen udon. Cook only until the strands loosen and turn supple, usually one or two minutes. Drain well. The noodles are already cooked, so this step is reheating and waking their chew, not cooking them into softness.

7. 7

   Assemble the bowls

   Warm four deep bowls with hot water, then empty and dry them. Divide the udon among the bowls, pour over the hot seasoned dashi, and set the beef in a small mound to one side. Spoon a little of the beef simmering liquid over the meat, not the whole pan, or sweetness will take over the broth. Finish with scallions and shichimi tōgarashi if you like.

Chef Tips

• •Ask for beef sliced for shabu-shabu or sukiyaki. If you slice it yourself, chill the meat until firm and cut across the grain as thinly as you can. The cut matters because thin beef cooks before it has time to toughen.
• •Use frozen udon for the best home version. Dried udon has its uses, but frozen noodles give the thick, springy bite people expect from a shop bowl.
• •Don't pour all the beef cooking liquid into the soup. It tastes good by itself, which is exactly why it can bully the dashi. Spoon enough over the beef to make it shine and stop there.
• •For a meatless table, this becomes a different bowl. Make a konbu and dried shiitake dashi and top the udon with sweet-simmered aburaage or mushrooms. That's honmono in its own line, not niku udon pretending to be meat.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made up to two days ahead and kept refrigerated. Warm it gently, because hard boiling dulls the aroma.
• •The beef topping can be simmered a day ahead and refrigerated in its liquid. Rewarm it gently so the fat softens without tightening the meat.
• •Slice the scallions a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Pat them dry before serving so they sit cleanly on the broth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 585g)