Welsh Family Kitchen

Niku Udon A Japanese comfort classic, niku udon is a warming bowl of chewy udon noodles in a savory-sweet broth topped with thinly sliced meat (niku in Japanese), usually beef. Ingredients: Soup Base: 1 tablespoon instant dashi powder, such as Hondashi 3 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons mirin 2 teaspoons sugar Kosher salt Beef Topping: 1 pound very thinly sliced beef ribeye (see Cook’s Note) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 small onion, thinly sliced Kosher salt 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons mirin 1 teaspoon sugar Four 8-ounce blocks frozen udon 2 scallions, thinly sliced Shichimi togarashi, for serving Procedures: Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Meanwhile, for the soup base: Bring 6 cups of water, the instant dashi powder, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Simmer for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low (or turn completely off) and keep covered until ready to serve. Taste and add more salt if needed. For the beef topping: If the beef slices are long, cut them in half to make 2- to 3-inch-wide pieces. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for 1 minute, then add the beef, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and another pinch of salt. Stir to combine and gently separate the slices. Cook until the beef is browned and just a little bit of liquid remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Boil the udon noodles according to the package directions. Drain well. Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Bring the soup base back to a boil and ladle into the bowls. Top with the beef and scallions. Serve with shichimi togarashi on the side. Cook’s Note: The type of thinly shaved well-marbled beef that’s best for niku udon is the same as what’s usually used in the dish shabu shabu. You can find it in many Asian groceries or slice it very thinly yourself. Notes: 2025-04-04: Added to our cookbook. 04/04/2025