Cold Sesame Mazemen

This recipe was originally published in the award-winning cookbook Love Japan: Recipes from our Japanese American Kitchen by Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel with Gabriella Gershenson (Ten Speed Press, 2023). Reprinted here with permission.

You can purchase Love Japan here

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients: 

Sesame Sauce:

• ⅔ cup unsweetened plain soy milk
• ⅔ cup chilled Dashi or 1 teaspoon of dashi powder mixed int ⅔ cup cold water*
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Pork, Mushrooms, and Peppers:

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 8 ounces thinly sliced boneless pork shoulder (optional)
• 8 large shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced
• 1 cup thinly shishito, poblano, or bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tables sugar

Assembly:

• 1 pound fresh thick ramen noodles, preferably temomi
• 1 Japanese or Persian (mini) cucumber, or ½ English cucumber, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• Chili oil (optional), for drizzling

Method: 

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. To make the sesame sauce: In a blender, combine the soy milk, dashi, soy sauce, mirin, tahini, and vinegar and blend until fully mixed, for just a few seconds. Transfer to a container with a lid and refrigerate. You can make the sesame sauce up to 3 days ahead.
3. To prepare the pork, mushrooms, and peppers: In a skillet, heat the sesame oil over high heat. When the oil is shimmering add the pork shoulder and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shiitake mushrooms and peppers and cook, stirring a few times, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add sake, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar and cook until the sauce is reduced by about half, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
4. To assemble: Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl that a colander can fit into with cold water and ice cubes.
5. Drop the noodles into the boiling water and stir immediately. Cook according to the package directions. Drain the noodles in a colander, then immediately plunge the colander with the noodles into the ice bath to stop them from cooking. Once the noodles are fully chilled, drain thoroughly.
6. Divide the noodles among four serving bowls. Divide the sesame sauce and the pork, mushroom, and pepper mixture, along with its sauce, evenly among the bowls of noodles. Garnish with the cucumber, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle on chili if you like it spicy. Mix well before eating.

*Note: For a vegan version of this dish, leave out the pork and substitute vegetable stock for dashi.