Try this Yaki Udon recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 tbsp. oil
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 carrot
- 2 packages udon noodles (i like frozen sanuki udon) (note 1)
- 1/2 large onion
- 2-3 cabbage leaves
- 2 shiitake mushrooms
- 2 scallions/green onions
- 1/2 lb. (227 g) sliced pork belly or your choice of meat, seafood and vegetables
- 3 tbsp. mentsuyu (noodle soup base) (homemade recipe) (not
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 pkg (about 3 tbsp) katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
- 1 tbsp. picked red ginger (beni shoga) (optional)
- Carbohydrate 5.75924208333333 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.1326525 g
- Fiber 1.43752083555857 g
- Protein 1.17368125 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0261608333333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (149g)
- Sodium 16.7485 mg
- Sugar 4.32172124777476 g
- Trans Fat 0.0478025 g
- Calories 26 calories
Step-by-step
- If the udon noodles are frozen, boil them until loosen. Drain and rinse off the starch. Drain well and set aside.
- Slice onion and cut cabbage into 1‐ (2.5 cm) square pieces. Julienne the carrot (cut into 2‐ (5 cm matchsticks).
- Discard the tough shitake stems and slice the mushroom tops. Thinly slice the top 2‐ (5 cm) green part of scallions and set aside (for garnisih). Cut the rest of scallion into 2‐ (5 cm) pieces.
- Cut the pork belly slices into 1‐ (2.5 cm) pieces.
- In a frying pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the pork and cook until almost cooked through. Then add onion and cook until translucent and soft.
- Add cabbage and carrots and stir fry until coated with oil. Then add shiitake mushrooms and scallion. Stir fry until vegetables are lightly wilted.
- Add udon noodles and using tongs, combine well with all the ingredients.
- Add seasonings (Freshly ground black pepper, 3 Tbsp. Mentsuyu, and 1 tsp. soy sauce) and mix all together. Please adjust the amount of Mentsuyu based on the amount of the ingredients you have added.
- Serve on a plate and sprinkle bonito flakes and green onions on top. Garnish with red pickled ginger on the side if you like.
While soup-based noodle dishes rely on simmering broths for depth, yaki udon achieves its savory character through high-heat pan-searing. This preparation requires swift execution at the stove because dense wheat noodles and sliced proteins cook rapidly once introduced to a hot skillet. Managing moisture and heat distribution prevents the ingredients from steaming instead of acquiring the proper pan-fried finish.
- Thaw and loosen frozen sanuki udon in boiling water for exactly one to two minutes, rinsing them thoroughly in cold water to remove excess surface starch that causes clumping.
- Slice pork belly and vegetables into uniform pieces measuring roughly one inch to ensure even heat penetration across all skillet components.
- Heat neutral cooking oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat before adding the meat, allowing the pork fat to render until translucent edges appear.
- Add cabbage, onions, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms sequentially based on density, stirring continuously until the greens wilt without losing their structural integrity.
- Incorporate mentsuyu noodle soup base and soy sauce during the final minute of tossing, allowing the liquids to reduce slightly and coat the noodles without pooling at the bottom of the serving plate.
Pair this dish with a crisp cucumber salad dressed in rice vinegar to balance the rich umami of bonito flakes and pork belly. Proper portioning keeps the noodles from overcrowding the pan, which maintains the necessary cooking temperature for optimal texture.
