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!