Oxtail Udon (テールスープうどん) is not a common Japanese dish, but a few years ago, my JOC teammate, Naomi, told me about this super delicious udon noodle soup she loved at Kemuri Japanese Baru in Redwood City, CA. As a big fan of oxtail, Mr. JOC wanted to try this new (then) restaurant.
We were sold on the first taste of the oxtail broth, so we have been back many times to order their “Ox-tail Udon”. We absolutely love the rich flavor! So you know that meant I just had to make my own version at home! Now we could enjoy the dish anytime, especially on cold winter days. This oxtail udon recipe was created after being inspired by the restaurant’s version.
Making “Oxtail Dashi”
When you hear Oxtail Udon, you might think that just means putting udon noodles in oxtail broth. That would work, but it wouldn’t make it “Japanese”.
To make Japanese-style udon stock, you will need to combine my oxtail broth recipe with dashi to achieve that umami packed flavor that makes Japanese soup so delicious. There are many types of dashi in Japan, but for this recipe, it’s best to use the simple Katsuo Dashi made with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
What to Do with Oxtail Meat & Bones?
To me, the star of this dish is oxtail – sorry udon, it’s not you this time. Hence, I put the big chunk of oxtail in my serving bowl or the donabe (Japanese clay pot).
However, not everyone is a huge fan of big chunks of bones in your bowl. If that’s the case, you can debone first and serve those tender oxtail meat chunks on top of the udon noodles.
How to Serve Oxtail Udon
Toppings
Greens: At the Kemuri Japanese Baru restaurant, their “Ox-tail Udon” is topped with a large serving of the Japanese greens, Mizuna. Mizuna is the best, but you can put any greens in this udon noodle soup, like bok choy or spinach. I opted for simple chopped green onions to keep it simple and showcase the oxtail for the blog images.
Fried Garlic Chips: I do recommend adding fried garlic chips to the oxtail udon. Whenever I go back to Japan, my aunt usually gives Mr. JOC his favorite fried garlic chips that are homemade at this teppanyaki restaurant that used to be owned by my late grandfather. These garlic chips are made from these huge heads of garlic grown in Aomori Prefecture. They’re perfect for frying!
Oxtail Udon Serving Dish
Use your biggest serving bowl that can fit udon noodles AND the big chunks of meat. If you have a single serving donabe or any-size donabe (How to use donabe?), it’s also fun to scoop out individual portions at the table as shown in the pictures here.
Doesn’t that just warm you up looking at that bowl of hearty oxtail udon? It’s a great weekend recipe to spend quality time in the kitchen, and enjoy for lunch and dinner!
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Oxtail Udon
Ingredients
- Homemade Oxtail Broth and Meat (make my Pressure Cooker Oxtail Broth recipe first, preferably a day in advance; you will use 1 entire batch of it to make this Oxtail Udon)
- 4 servings udon noodles (2.2 lb/1 kg frozen or parboiled udon noodles; 13 oz/360 g dry udon noodles)
- 3 green onions/scallions
- fried garlic chips (See Step 1 below or my tutorial on how to make garlic chips)
- chili oil with crunchy garlic (optional; you can buy it on Amazon or make my Taberu Rayu recipe)
For the Katsuo Dashi
- 2 cups water
- 1½ cups katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (packed)
For the Seasonings
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce (to taste)
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (to taste)
- ⅛ tsp white pepper powder
Instructions
- For the homemade Fried Garlic Chips: Use the large cloves from a head of garlic. Peel and thinly slice them widthwise and remove the green core. You can omit this step; however, the core will come out easily while frying and burn quickly, which will darken the oil color. Therefore, if you have time, I recommend removing it. Add oil to a frying pan over medium-low heat. While the oil is still cold, add the garlic slices and slowly fry them until golden brown. Dry them on a paper towel. Once cool, store them in an airtight container. Transfer the garlic-infused oil to a small jar to use in other recipes.
- Gather all the ingredients. Please note that you will need to cook my Oxtail Broth and Meat recipe first. Put the oxtail broth in a large stockpot (transfer from your Instant Pot if making on the same day). Reheat the broth and keep it on low simmer. Skim if necessary.
- Add 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add 1½ cups katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
- Lower the heat and keep on low simmer for 10–15 seconds and turn off the heat. Set aside to steep for 10–15 minutes.
- Strain the liquid over a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl/measuring cup. You now have katsuo dashi.
- Add the katsuo dashi into the oxtail broth. Now you have oxtail katsuo dashi.
- Add 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and ⅛ tsp white pepper powder. Taste the soup and see if you need to adjust the seasoning. Keep it on a low simmer until you’re ready to serve.
- Chop 3 green onions/scallions. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the udon noodles. My favorite udon is the frozen Sanuki Udon. Cook 4 servings udon noodles (frozen) in boiling water for 1 minute (no need to defrost). If you use dry noodles, follow the package instructions.
- Pick up the udon noodles and transfer to the individual serving bowls or donabe. Add the Homemade Oxtail Broth and Meat. Top the udon with chopped green onions and the fried garlic chips. If you like it spicy, add your favorite chili oil with crunchy garlic or hot sauce.
To Store
- You can keep the leftover soup in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month. Cook the noodles right before serving.
Nutrition
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