Niku Udon with Top Sirloin Steak

Recipe by: Chop Shop Family

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Niku translates to "meat," and in this variant of udon, the dish is garnished with thinly shaved beef that has undergone marination before being caramelized to perfection in a skillet. The addition of sliced negi (green onion) brings a sharp contrast and zest to the meal. Emblematic of udon cuisine, its simplicity belies its irresistibly delicious flavor. Notably, numerous restaurants throughout Japan dedicate their menu to this specific preparation. Should you prefer your beef to be thinly shaved, just let us know in advance, and we would be delighted to accommodate your request.

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Ingredients:

SERVES 4

Udon Tsuyu

• 6 cups Dashi (you can make your own but we like to use HanDashi)

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 1/2 cup mirin

Marinaded Beef

• ¼ cup sake

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¼ cup soy sauce

• 1 pound shaved beef (be sure to call ahead and ask our butchers)

• 4 bricks (8.8 ounces each) fresh-frozen udon or 4 packages (3.5 ounces each) dried Sanuki udon

• 1 negi or green onion, thinly sliced on an angle

• Shichimi togarashi

Instructions:

1. Make a marinade by adding the sake, sugar, and soy sauce to a large bowl, and mixing together well. Add the beef and mix together with your hands, making sure all the meat is coated well. Marinate the beef for about 10 minutes.

2. Preheat a dry skillet. Add the beef with the entire marinade mixture to the skil-let. Spread out the beef in the skillet so it cooks evenly. Cook for about 5 minutes over high heat, until almost all the liquid in the skillet has evaporated. Turn off the heat.

3. Prepare the tsuyu. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.  Add in HanDashi granules to the water along with the soy sauce and mirin.  Bring to a simmer and let cook until the dashi has dissolved. and keep it warm over low heat.

4. Prepare the fresh-frozen udon, divide among 4 bowls, and set aside.

5. Pour the hot tsuyu over the udon. Divide the beef among the 4 bowls, placing it on top of the noodles.

6. Garnish with the negi and season with the shichimi togarashi, to taste.

7. Serve immediately.