Miso-Pork Udon with Sesame Wakame Broth

A cozy bowl pairing thin pork belly with rich miso and sesame—comforting, quick, and layered with umami.

Ingredients

• 200–250 g thinly sliced pork belly
• 2 servings dry or vacuum/frozen cooked udon (about 300–400 g cooked)
• 1½ tbsp white miso + 1 tsp red miso (adjust to taste)
• 1 tbsp aji mirin
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp hondashi or 1 cup strong dashi stock made with kombu + bonito flakes
• 1½ tbsp roasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sesame paste (tahini-style) or 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds + 1 tsp sesame oil if you skip paste
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
• 1–2 tbsp wakame (rehydrated, squeeze excess water)
• 1 small piece kombu (5 cm) if making dashi from scratch
• 1 tsp sugar or a splash of your sweet rice vinegar if you prefer slightly sweet balance
• Optional: chopped scallions, soft-boiled egg, shichimi togarashi, or a drizzle of bachan’s Japanese barbecue sauce for a smoky finish
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups water (or prepared dashi)

Instructions

1. Make the dashi (if using hondashi, skip kombu/bonito steps): heat 4 cups water to near simmer, dissolve 1 tsp hondashi. If making from kombu/bonito: put kombu in cold water, heat to just before boil, remove kombu, add a handful of bonito flakes, steep 30–60 sec, strain.
2. Whisk miso: take ¼ cup warm dashi in a bowl, dissolve white and red miso and sesame paste until smooth. Set aside.
3. Cook pork: heat 1 tbsp roasted sesame oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add pork belly, season lightly, and sauté until just browned and slightly crisp. Add 1 tbsp mirin and 1 tbsp soy sauce, let caramelize briefly. Remove and keep warm.
4. Build broth: bring remaining dashi to a gentle simmer, add the miso-sesame mixture off-heat (to avoid boiling miso), stir in a little sugar or a splash of sweet rice vinegar if using to taste. Add wakame to warm through.
5. Noodles: if using frozen/vacuum udon, briefly warm per package (in hot water or microwave). If dry, cook per package until al dente, drain.
6. Assemble: divide udon into bowls, ladle hot miso-sesame-wakame broth, top with pork belly slices. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, optional scallions, soft-boiled egg, and a light drizzle of roasted sesame oil or bachan’s sauce for a smoky-sweet note. Sprinkle shichimi if you like heat.
7. Taste and adjust: add soy or a touch more miso for saltiness, mirin or vinegar for balance.

Flavor profile explanation

• Umami-forward from miso, dashi, and bonito; warm sesame notes from oil and paste; a gentle sweetness and brightness from mirin/vinegar; pork adds savory richness and mouthfeel.