This recipe from 2019 F&W Best New Chef Mutsuko Soma features chilled soba noodles with just a splash of rich broth, called mentsuyu, in the bottom of the bowl, topped with pork chashu and marinated eggs (steeped in the flavorful pork braising liquid).
Direction
Make the mentsuyu
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Stir together 4 cups water, bonito flakes, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and shiitake in a medium saucepan over medium-low, and slowly bring to a simmer. Simmer until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and add kombu. Let stand 10 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids. Cool at room temperature 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
Make the chashu and marinated eggs
- Place pork, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper in a large Dutch oven; add water just to cover. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until pork is just tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high. Add eggs, and cook 6 minutes. Immediately transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water. Let cool 10 minutes. Carefully peel eggs, and set aside.
- Stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, and mirin. When pork has finished braising, add soy sauce mixture to pan; stir. Simmer over low, covered, until pork is fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and add peeled eggs. Let pork and eggs cool in liquid, uncovered, 1 hour.
Make the sesame vinaigrette
- Place sesame seeds, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and black pepper in a blender. Process until seeds are roughly chopped, about 5 seconds. With blender running, slowly pour in sesame oil to emulsify, about 30 seconds.
- Pat drained noodles dry. Divide cold noodles evenly among 4 bowls. Thinly slice pork; cut eggs in half. Top noodles evenly with pork and eggs. Drizzle each with about 1 tablespoon sesame vinaigrette. Pour about 1/4 cup chilled mentsuyu down side of each bowl. Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, Chinese mustard, radish, zucchini, shiso, and basil, if desired.