Niku udon (Japanese beef noodle soup)

Name: Niku udon (Japanese beef noodle soup)
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 7 dried shiitake mushrooms; 10cm x 8cm piece of kombu (edible kelp)

Julia Busuttil Nishimura

August 9, 2024

Time poor? Use instant dashi for the broth; it just needs to be steeped in water. William Meppem

Time:2 hours +Serves:4

I buy udon noodles from the freezer section at my local Japanese grocer; chewy and satisfying, they’re the perfect kitchen-cupboard staple. I love them served simply with a hot broth topped with spring onion (kake udon) or, in summer, chilled with a dipping sauce (zaru udon).

Niku udon requires a few more steps, but is still very easy. To make the shiitake dashi (stock) from scratch, you’ll need to work at least four hours ahead. Short of time? Buy instant dashi in granule form; it just needs to be steeped in water. Or you can get it in liquid form, which you dilute.

For the beef, my preference is to use scotch fillet since it’s nicely marbled, but rump, sirloin or flat iron are also great options.

Ingredients

FOR THE SHIITAKE DASHI

7 dried shiitake mushrooms
10cm x 8cm piece of kombu (edible kelp)

FOR THE SOUP BASE

1 litre shiitake dashi
80ml light soy sauce
80ml mirin
½ tsp salt

FOR THE BRAISED BEEF

120ml sake
80ml soy sauce
80ml mirin
2 tsp caster sugar
20g ginger, julienned
1 onion, finely sliced
2 x 250g scotch fillet, thinly sliced
4 x 250g frozen udon noodles

TO SERVE

finely grated daikon
2 spring onions, finely sliced
shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice mixture)

Method

Step 1
To make the dashi, toast the shiitake and kombu in a dry frypan for 1-2 minutes until slightly smoky. Place in a large bowl and cover with 1 litre of cold water. Allow to soak for at least 4 hours, but ideally overnight.
Step 2
Transfer the shiitake dashi, including the shiitake and kombu, to a medium saucepan. Place over a medium heat and just before it comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook very gently for 15 minutes, then remove the shiitake and kombu with a slotted spoon (reserving for another use). Add the soy sauce, mirin and salt. Bring to a simmer, then keep warm.
Step 3
To prepare the meat, place the sake, soy, mirin, sugar, ginger and onion in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium-high heat. Add the beef, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 4–5 minutes. Keep warm.
Step 4
Cook the udon according to the directions on the packet and rinse under cold water.
Step 5
Divide the noodles between four bowls and pour the warm broth over them. Top with some of the beef mixture, daikon, spring onion and a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi