Who doesn’t love those speedy, tasty dinners? Then, this Simple Black Pepper Beef Udon is one of your treasures. Tender marinated beef matches really well with chewy udon noodles, and the black pepper sauce gives it the perfect finish.
Simple Black Pepper Beef Udon is one of those dishes you can likely throw together in 20 minutes, but by the time you’ve got everything done, everybody will be pretty convinced by the taste, that you must have spent hours toiling away in the kitchen.
Ingredients List:
- 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
- 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 loosened-up but not overcooked. Drain and set aside. Be careful not to overcook-you want it to retain just that little bit of bouncy chew!
- Heat a wok on medium, add oil, and stir-fry garlic and onions until soft (move them to a bowl and set aside).
- Cook the marinated beef for 2-3 minutes until browned. Scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan (you want to incorporate those into the black pepper sauce.
- Add black pepper sauce into the pan with the meat, stirring over low heat until it thickens and becomes glossy.
- Lastly, add the cooked udon and Chinese cabbage to the sauce, stirring to coat. Toss everything together and serve.
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.
More Recipe Suggestions:
Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast
Spicy Maple Glazed Chicken with Cheddar Polenta
Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie (Pizookie)
30 Minute Creamy Thai Turmeric Chicken and Noodles
Simple Black Pepper Beef Udon
Equipment
- Wok – Traditional optional
- Wok – Modern optional
- Large Skillet optional
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 loosened-up but not overcooked. Drain and set aside. Be careful not to overcook-you want it to retain just that little bit of bouncy chew!
- Heat a wok on medium, add oil, and stir-fry garlic and onions until soft (move them to a bowl and set aside).
- Cook the marinated beef for 2-3 minutes until browned. Scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan (you want to incorporate those into the black pepper sauce.
- Add black pepper sauce into the pan with the meat, stirring over low heat until it thickens and becomes glossy.
- Lastly, add the cooked udon and Chinese cabbage to the sauce, stirring to coat. Toss everything together and serve.
