Yaki Udon 焼きうどん

Ingredients:

  • 2 servings udon noodles

  • 0.5 onion

  • 1 cup cabbage

  • 0.5 cup carrot

  • 0.5 cup shiitake mushroom

  • 2 stalks green onion

  • 0.5 lb slice pork belly

  • 3 tbsp mentsuyu (for seasoning) - see below for homemade recipe

  • 1 tsp soy sauce (for seasoning)

  • sesame seeds (for garnish)

  • katsuobushi (for garnish)

  • seaweed (for garnish)

  • black pepper (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare ingredients - cut onion and cabbage into one-inch square pieces, julienne carrots, slice mushroom tops, slice whiter part of green onion into one-inch pieces (and cut rest of green onion for garnish), cut pork belly into one-inch pieces

  2. Cook ingredients - in frying pan or skillet, add onion and pork until cooked, add carrots and cabbage, then add shiitake mushrooms and whiter part of green onion (season with salt & pepper)

  3. Add udon & sauce - cook udon noodles and add to pan, then add seasonings (mentsuyu & soy sauce) and mix until well combined

  4. Serve it up - garnish with green onions, seaweed, black pepper, and sesame seeds

  5. Enjoy!

Homemade Mentsuyu Recipe (Noodle Soup Base)

Ingredients (to make 2 cups):

  • 0.5 cup sake

  • 1.125 cup mirin

  • 1 cup soy sauce

  • 1 piece kombu

  • 1 cup katsuobushi

Instructions:

  1. Combine ingredients - in saucepan, add sake, bring to boil for a few seconds, then add mirin, soy sauce, kombu and katsuobushi

  2. Simmer & strain - simmer for 5 minutes then turn off heat to cool, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve

  3. Store - place in a mason jar and keep in the refrigerator for up to a month

  4. Enjoy!