Here’s the thing about Asian families (I’m betting we aren’t the only Asian family with this attitude!). When it comes to faux Asian food (modern / contemporary / fusion Asian), we are snobs. We love it when it’s done right. But there’s a line – and if it’s on the wrong side of that line, we turn our noses up at it.
So when I announced that I was going to make a “faux Asian beef soba” meal for a family dinner, the response was……well, underwhelming. Dubious is a fair word to describe their response. In my family, we are each others greatest supporters and greatest critics in everything we do. We are always appreciative of effort, but we ain’t beating around the bush when it comes to food. Too salty, not seasoned enough, the pasta’s not al dente, the Ragu isn’t rich enough, the roast potatoes could be crunchier, I’m the Roast Beef Queen, you’re the Pasta King, you’re the Queen of Salads….and so on. Tough crowd!!! But it’s always said in good jest and we are always very complimentary as well. We like to say it’s constructive feedback. And we all give it as good as we get! As for their response to this Beef Soba Noodle Bowl? They were shocked. Shocked at how good it is!!!
So as you can imagine, I was gloating away, grinning smugly as everyone scoffed it down. (Yes, we relish our victories, yes we are all that immature). SCORED! PS Just to assure you, none of us are like this in real life outside of family dinners!!! This has long since been my favourite way to serve up beef and soba. Actually, it’s the only beef and soba recipe I make. In typical Asian form, one of the things I really like about this recipe is that you only need a small amount of beef. Very different approach to the Western way of cooking huge slabs of steak the size of my head (which, to be clear, I enjoy just as much as this Beef Soba Noodle Bowl!). For this recipe I’ve used a very familiar cut – rump steak. It’s probably the steak cut I use the most because it’s great value for the quality you get. A quick sear, few minutes of resting then you have a beautiful tender, juicy steak to dig in to. YUM!
The dressing for this Beef Soba Noodle Bowl is really lovely, it reminds me of the sauce for traditional Japanese Soba but it has a stronger flavour so it’s more similar to a salad dressing rather than a Japanese soba dipping sauce. If you are after a traditional Japanese Soba recipe, my mother has shared her Zaru Soba recipe (traditional Cold Soba Noodles) – the ultimate hot weather noodle dish! With just a wee bit of multi tasking, this is a super quick dinner you can get on the table in 15 minutes. Just get the water boiling while you cook the steak, then while the steak is resting, make the dressing and cook the soba and beans. See? Totally manageable. And just to really show you how simple this is, there’s a quick recipe video below. 🙂 Nagi xx
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
LIFE OF DOZER
No beef for Dozer! How about a bean instead? 😉
IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE, TRY THIS!
15 Minute Asian Steak – with a sauce inspired by the great Tetsuya!
Today’s recipe is brought to you in partnership with You’re Better on Beef, celebrating Australian beef. Because Aussie beef rocks, it’s perfect for super quick dinners and we should eat more of it!! SaveSave
