Udon (Kitsune, Beef, and Chicken)

Rating: 5 of 5

Ingredients:
Aburaage
•    1 lb tofu slice ¼ inch thick (or aburaage from a local Asian market)
•    3/4 cup dashi soup stock
•    1 Tbsp soy sauce
•    1 Tbsp mirin
•    2 Tbsp sugar
Soup
•    5 cup dashi soup stock (2 heaping tsp dashi base, 5 cups water)
•    2 Tbsp soy sauce
•    3 Tbsp mirin
•    1/2 tsp salt
•    1/2  teaspoons  garlic powder
•    1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
•    1 package  uncooked udon noodles

•    3  tablespoons soy sauce
•    3  tablespoons mirin
•    1  tablespoon  honey
•    2  cups  sliced shiitake mushroom caps

•    8  ounces  top sirloin
•    1 half chicken breast

•    3/4  cup  diagonally cut green onions

Directions:

1.    If you haven’t managed to find aburaage, then fry the tofu until a deep golden brown. Pour boiled water over aburaage to remove the excess oil. Drain aburaage well. Put dashi, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce in a medium pan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer aburaage until the liquid is almost gone. Set aside.
2.    Boil water in a large pan and heat udon noodles as indicated in the package. Drain the udon and set aside. Do not put the noodles into the soup to avoid it becoming starchy.
3.    In the meantime, combine dashi, soy sauce, mirin, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and salt in a medium pan and bring to a boil reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
4.    Combine soy sauce, sake, and honey in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
5.    Sauté mushrooms for 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly until sauce is almost gone.
6.    Add broth mixture; stir in beef and chicken; cook 2 minutes or until meat loses its pink color.
7.    Pour the hot soup over udon noodles. Place simmered aburaage on the top. Sprinkle with green onion. Serve immediately.