Maya Sari
Some recipes just knock the right note every time, and for me, this beef black pepper udon is one of those recipes.
I have been experimenting around, playing with quick weeknight dinners that don’t skimp on flavor.
After a long day, something comforting always goes down quite well, but nothing that takes ages over the kitchen stove. And then there’s beef, udon noodles, and a killer black pepper sauce.
My first attempt at it, really surprised by just how easy the process could be with something that tastes like your favorite restaurant.
For me, tender marinated beef matches really well with chewy udon noodles and the black pepper sauce gives this all-needed zest for it.
It’s one of those dishes you likely throw together in 20 minutes, but by the time you’ve got everything done, everybody will be pretty convinced that you must have spent hours toiling away in the kitchen.
Who doesn’t love those speedy, tasty dinners? Then, this Beef Black Pepper Udon is one of your treasures.
A balanced flavor, actually savory with the peppery punch, a little sweetness, really nicely balanced so that any finisher becomes a critic about how you present your dishes.
And it’s a pretty open-ended list of ingredients so you can fiddle to suit what you have on hand.
Here are Some Other Noodle Recipes You Might Enjoy
Ingredients:
For the Main Course:
- 2 packs udon noodles: Fresh udon is great with its springy, chewy texture, but dried udon also works fine-just cook it according to the package instructions.
- 200 g fresh beef thinly sliced: I like to use ribeye or flank steak. Pro tip: When you are cutting your own beef, freeze it for 30 minutes first. This really helps to make it much easier to slice very thin.
- 1 minced garlic cloves: Of course, no dinner is ever complete with that heavenly scent of garlic!
- Chinese cabbage (or whatever leafy green): I love using Chinese cabbage for its fabulous crunch but can easily sub in spinach, bok choy, or even broccoli.
- 1 white onion, sliced: These onions bring a lovely natural sweetness in a perfect balance with the heat from the pepper.
- Salt to taste: This is just want amounts-the salt really brings out flavors.
- Sugar to taste: A pinch of sugar balances out all the savory, peppery flavors that’s been happening in this meal.
Marinated Beef Ingredients:
- 1 clove garlic, minced: More garlic is added into the marinade, which really rings much flavor out of the beef.
- 1 tsp sesame oil: It gives this a very subtle nuttiness.
- 1 tbsp soy sauce: The savory base into which the beef absorbs all flavor.
- 1 tsp oyster sauce: Rich, silky umami flavor
- 1 tsp Chinese white vinegar: Add a splash of acidity to try and break down the beef and cleave through richness
- 1 tsp cornstarch or potato starch + water (for slurry): Thicken up that marinade and help it get that fantastic smooth surface around the beef
For Black Pepper Sauce:
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce: adds everything you could want in richness and that salty, umami taste so classic.
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce: More umami-action (can’t mess this up!)
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper: This really depends on how hot you like this dish to be. Freshly ground pepper is best for flavor.
- 3 tbsp water: To water down the sauce, so it should coat the noodles really good.
- 1/2 tsp Potato starch: That is what helps to thicken the sauce, so adding it in gives it that glossy finish.
Instructions
- Marinate the Beef: Whisk together minced garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese white vinegar, and cornstarch slurry in a small bowl. Add thinly sliced beef and toss to coat, allowing it to sit about 10 minutes while you start preparing the rest of your ingredients. There is so much flavor going on with that beef-then it becomes tender at the end.
2. Prep the Udon Noodles: In a large pot of boiling water, cook the udon noodles for 1-2 minutes, until slightly loosed-up but not overcooked, of course! Drain and set aside. No overcooking’s necessary in this recipe-you want it still to retain just that little bit of bouncy chew!
3. Cook the Vegetables: Put the wok or large pan, and heat it medium. Put one tablespoon of oil, garlic, and onions sliced. Stir-fry until it is fragrant and softens. Add the pak choy in the wok, stir-fry till it wilts. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and sugar to balance it. Set it aside ready to be served when done. Beef marinade is ready pan-brown until browned and just cooked in the same pan. That should take around 2-3 minutes because beef cooks fast so don’t overcook it. Remove beef and set aside since you now need to work on the sauce
4. Prepare Black Pepper Sauce: Scrape all that dreg into a small bowl with the dark soy, oyster sauce, black pepper, water and potato starch. Pour into pan, constantly stir over low heat, as cooks until it all comes together so well that it thickens to this shiny consistency.
5. Combining everything together: Add the cooked udon noodles and beef into the sauce. Scramble everything in that pan real good so that everything’s absolutely coated, too. You can put that pan with the sautĆ©ed vegetables back into the sauce. Let everything toss one last time and you’re good to go.
Tips:
To make Silky Tender Beef: Marinate beef for at least 30 minutes. The longer the beef will be even more tender and luscious.
Vegetarian Version: Use tofu or mushrooms instead of beef and use oyster sauce vegetarian.
Want More Heat? Of course, if you like the heat you may add more ground black pepper or even just a pinch of red pepper flakes to taste.
Alternative noodles: In case you don’t have udon noodles just lying about your pantry, you can use rice noodles or soba noodles or even spaghetti in a jam. Just cook them accordingly.
Prepare ahead: Marinate your beef beforehand and prepare your sauce well in advance so that when you are ready to cook, you can save much time.
It would have made the cut for that favorite speedy bowl of noodles, but in any case,
Final Thoughts:
Beef Black Pepper Udon is now one of my faves. Chewy noodles, savory beef and that peppery sauce, really are just what comfort food needs when you need to step up the hurry a little, but don’t want to sacrifice too much taste for it.
This is just a perfect recipe when you want to just treat yourself to the most special of dishes, but you are terrified to spend an hour or two hanging out in the kitchen.
Enjoy making this almost as much as you will like eating it. If you get to make it, let me know how it turns out for you!
Beef Black Pepper Udon
Ingredients
- 2 packs udon noodles
- Chinese cabbage (or whatever leafy green)
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 white onion, sliced
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste
- 200 g fresh beef, thinly sliced
Marinated Beef Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp corn starch or potato starch + water (for slurry)
- 1 tsp Chinese white rice vinegar
Black Pepper Sauce
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp potato starch
Instructions
- Whisk minced garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch slurry in a bowl. Coat thinly sliced beef and let it sit for 10 minutes while prepping other ingredients. The beef will absorb the flavors and become tender.
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook the udon noodles for 1-2 minutes, until slightly loosed-up but not overcooked, of course! Drain and set aside. No overcooking's necessary in this recipe-you want it still to retain just that little bit of bouncy chew!
- Scrape all that dreg into a small bowl with the dark soy, oyster sauce, black pepper, water and potato starch.
- Heat a wok on medium, add oil, and stir-fry garlic and onions until soft. Cook the marinated beef for 2-3 minutes until browned. Then add black pepper sauce. Pour into a pan, stirring over low heat until it thickens and becomes glossy.
- Add the cooked udon and Chinese cabbage to the sauce, stirring to coat. Toss everything together and serve.
