It’s Raining Ramen
There’s nothing I crave more on a rainy day or when I’m feeling sick than ramen. And since I’m sick literally every week, I crave ramen a lot. Whether it’s the heat, the salt and spice of the broth, the complexities of flavors, or the laundry list of ingredients, it always comes together to create a harmoniously decadent dish that temporarily cures any cold symptoms or irrational fears of contracting an STD. Miracle food? Yes, but don’t expect me not to slurp on this as if I just got massive lip injections and am sipping from a garden hose. It’s meant to be messy, especially for Americans who can’t master foreign utensils.
Ingredients
FOR THE “CHASHU” BRAISED PORK BELLY
- 1½ pounds boneless skin-on pork belly
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup sake
FOR THE CHICKEN DASHI
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 20 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 head garlic cut in half horizontally
- 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced thick
- 1 12-inch sheet kombu seaweed
- 1 cup bonito flakes
- 4 eggs
- 1 pound fresh ramen noodles
- ½ cup sliced scallions optional
- Chili-garlic sauce
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- 2 sheets nori seaweed cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- First make the “chashu” braised pork belly: Put the pork belly in a baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the sugar and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the sake over the pork belly and roast for 2 hours, flipping halfway through, until the pork is tender and beginning to caramelize.
- Remove from the oven and let the pork belly cool in its remaining braising liquid to room temperature.
- Transfer to the refrigerator to chill overnight.
- To make the chicken dashi: Combine the mirin, soy sauce, and sake in a small bowl.
- Set aside.
- In a large pot, combine the chicken stock, water, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger, kombu, and bonito flakes.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by roughly 25 percent, about 1 hour.
- Strain the broth and add the mirin mixture.
- Keep warm until serving.
- Bring a medium saucepot of water to a boil.
- Add the eggs, reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer, and cook for 6 minutes, until soft-boiled.
- Remove the eggs and run them under cold water.
- Peel the eggs, slice in half, and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the ramen noodles and stir, making sure they do not stick.
- Cook for 1 minute.
- Drain.
- To serve, remove the pork belly from the fridge and thickly slice it.
- Divide the noodles among four bowls and ladle in the chicken dashi.
- Top with the braised pork belly, eggs, scallions (if using), chili-garlic sauce, and a lime wedge.
- Tuck half of a sheet of nori along the side of the bowl and serve.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Always cook your ramen noodles in boiling water just before serving. Avoid cooking in the broth, as this can result in gummy noodles. If you can’t find fresh noodles, you can substitute dried.
After braising, chilling the pork belly overnight in the refrigerator allows for easy slicing. BASIC BASICS Dashi is a clear broth made with kombu seaweed and bonito flakes.
Tare is “the soul of ramen,” a flavored soy sauce.
Chashu is braised pork belly.
After braising, chilling the pork belly overnight in the refrigerator allows for easy slicing. BASIC BASICS Dashi is a clear broth made with kombu seaweed and bonito flakes.
Tare is “the soul of ramen,” a flavored soy sauce.
Chashu is braised pork belly.
