Black Pepper Beef Udon (Hei Jiao Niu Liu Wu Dong)
Hong Kong cafe royalty: chewy udon noodles wok-tossed with black-pepper beef and a glossy, punchy sauce.
The story
Cha chaan teng — Hong Kong's beloved diners — created a whole genre of East-meets-West comfort, and black pepper beef udon is its star: cracked black pepper by the tablespoon, thick udon, tender beef. Loud, glossy, addictive.
Ingredients (6 + pantry staples)
- Udon noodles (fresh or frozen) — 2 packs (14 oz / 400 g)
- Beef (flank), sliced thin — 10 oz / 300 g
- Cracked black pepper — 2 tsp (counts here — it is the dish)
- Oyster sauce — 2 tbsp
- Onion — 1/2, sliced
- Garlic — 3 cloves, minced
Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): soy sauce (1 tbsp), sugar (1 tsp), cooking oil, cornstarch (1 tsp). Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.
Steps
- Velvet the beef with soy + cornstarch; rest 10 minutes.
- Sear beef hot and fast; remove. Onion and garlic 2 minutes.
- Black pepper, oyster sauce, sugar and 1/4 cup water; bubble into a sauce.
- Udon (rinsed to separate) and beef in; toss 2 minutes until every strand is coated and hot.
Swaps
Chicken or shrimp for the beef. Add sliced bell pepper for the full HK cafe look.
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