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1
Set a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or large wok over the highest available gas flame and bring it to the point of faint smoke. Add a film of neutral oil. Lay the pork slices flat in a single layer without crowding. Fry undisturbed until the fat renders and the underside colours, then turn. The pan is ready when the pork sizzles immediately on contact and the rendered fat pools visibly.
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2
Add the cabbage to the pork and its rendered fat. Toss continuously over the same high heat until the cabbage edges begin to char at the margins but the leaves retain some body. Do not allow moisture to pool — if the pan sounds wet rather than searing, increase the heat or cook in a second batch. The cabbage is done when its raw smell has gone and the cut edges show faint colour.
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3
Add the pre-steamed chukamen directly to the pan. Spread them across the hot surface. Add 2–3 tablespoons of water per portion being cooked, cover the pan briefly, and allow the burst of steam to loosen any compacted noodles — no more than 20–30 seconds under cover. Remove the lid and toss immediately. The noodles are ready to proceed when they move freely as separate strands and show the first signs of colour on their exterior.
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4
This is where the dish lives or dies. Add the bean sprouts, green onion, and tenkasu if using, then pour the yakisoba sauce over the entire pan. Toss rapidly and continuously for no more than 30 seconds — just long enough that every strand is coated and the sauce glazes rather than burns. Sauce added a moment too early turns to acrid caramel; sauce tossed a moment too long does the same. Remove the pan from the heat the instant the noodles are uniformly dark and glossy.
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5
Plate immediately. Finish each portion with a mound of beni shoga to one side, a dusting of aonori over the noodles, and katsuobushi scattered across the surface. The garnishes are structural, not decorative: the sharp acidity of the beni shoga and the sea-mineral finish of the aonori are as integral to the dish as the sauce itself.