Cup of Yum
1. Gather all the ingredients. Freeze the thinly sliced pork for 10 minutes (so it‘s easy to cut).

To Make the Sesame Miso Sauce

Cup of Yum
1. Grate the ginger (I use a ceramic grater) and measure 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice).
2. Grind 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds in Japanese pestle and mortar.
3. In a small bowl, add 1 tsp sugar and 1 Tbsp miso and whisk well to combine.
4. Add 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned) and ½ tsp toasted sesame oil and mix.
5. Add the ground sesame seeds, grated ginger, and ¼ cup mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base).
6. Add ½ cup water and whisk all together. Chill the sauce in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To Prepare the Ingredients

1. Peel the skin of 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber in a striped pattern. Cut the cucumber into thin slices.
2. Cut 1 tomato into wedges.

To Cook the Pork Shabu Shabu

1. Cut the half-frozen 6 oz thinly sliced pork loin into smaller pieces; I cut the meat into thirds. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 Tbsp sake.
2. Cook the thinly sliced pork in 3 batches until no longer pink. Make sure each slice is separated (especially if you freeze for 10 minutes) and do not overcook as the pork will get tough.
3. Once the pork is cooked, remove it from the pot and put it in an ice bath to chill. When the pork is chilled, transfer to individual serving plates along with the cucumber slices and tomatoes.

To Cook the Somen Noodles

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove all the wrappings from 7 oz dried somen noodles first as all the somen should go into the boiling water at the same time.
2. Cook the somen noodles for 1½–2 minutes (my favorite Ibonoito brand requires 1½ minutes). Mix the noodles occasionally, making sure they are not stuck on the bottom or the sides of the pot.
3. Drain the noodles into a sieve and run cold water over them.
4. Once noodles are cold enough to handle, wash them with your hands as if you are washing your clothes. Knead and massage the noodles to get rid of the oil. When you finish, drain well.

To Serve

1. Serve the noodles on individual plates and put the sauce in small individual dipping bowls or cups.
2. Dip the pork shabu shabu, cucumber, and noodles in the sauce to enjoy!

To Store

1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. However, I do not recommend keeping the noodles as they stick to each other. Make a fresh batch of noodles before you eat. You can use leftover (stuck) noodles in miso soup or make a salad with it (dressing will loosen the noodles).