"Mottainai" Yaki Udon
もったいない焼きうどん·(mottainai yaki udon)
One-Bowl Donburi & Noodle Fixes
In Japanese households, mottainai—a deep-seated aversion to waste—is less an environmental slogan than a culinary imperative. This pragmatic philosophy birthed yaki udon in the lean years following 1945, when a diner owner in Kokura stir-fried dried udon simply because ramen wasn't available. Today, it is the ultimate weeknight fridge-clearing meal, transforming the lonely half-onion, the last three mushrooms, and whatever protein scraps you have into absolute magic. Forget complex, simmering sauces on a Tuesday; a splash of mentsuyu, combined with a clever two-stage cooking method, delivers the chewy, deeply savory, slightly charred noodles of a grandmother's kitchen without the fuss.
Ingredients
- frozen Sanuki udon500 g
- pork belly5 oz
- green cabbage leaves3 large
- onion1/2 small
- carrot1/2 med
- shiitake mushrooms4 med
- green bell pepper1 med
- soy sauce1 1/2 tbsp
- sake1 1/2 tbsp
- 3x-concentrated mentsuyu1 tbsp
- sugar1 tsp
- neutral oil1 tbsp
- bonito flakes1/4 cup
- red pickled ginger1 tbsp
- egg1 large
Method
- 01
Sear the pork and vegetables.
Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat with a splash of neutral oil, rendering the pork belly until the edges crisp, then toss in the onion, carrot, mushrooms, cabbage, and bell pepper until just wilted. Remove everything from the pan and set aside on a plate so the vegetables don't steam the noodles into mush.
- 02
Char the noodles.
Add a drop more oil to the empty, hot pan, add the untangled udon, and let it sit untouched for thirty seconds to develop a slight crust.
- 03
Steam with the sauce.
Lower the heat to medium, pour the soy sauce, sake, mentsuyu, and sugar directly over the noodles, and immediately cover with a lid for exactly one minute to force the chewy udon to absorb the umami.
- 04
Reunite the ingredients.
Remove the lid, return the vegetables and pork to the pan, and stir-fry vigorously for thirty seconds until everything is glossy and piping hot.
- 05
Garnish and serve immediately.
Plate the noodles and top generously with dancing bonito flakes, a pinch of red ginger, and the fried egg to recreate the classic 1945 Kokura diner style.
Notes
The Ultimate Mottainai Hack
If you have leftover broth from making sukiyaki or nabe the night before, skip the soy sauce, sake, and mentsuyu entirely. Pour a quarter cup of the filtered, fat-infused broth over the noodles when you steam them to recreate the most authentic, waste-free version of this dish.
From Cook Japanese in America.