{Recipe} Miso Ramen with Chashu Pork

One of Eugene's favorite foods ever is RAMEN. Japanese ramen to be specific. 

That's one of his biggest comfort foods.

We eat it most frequently when he's busy with school or right before his exams. We ate a lot of ramen during his first year of pharmacy school when he was adjusting to busy grad school life.

Being the wife of an avid ramen lover, I had to at the very least attempt to make ramen at home. For the past week or so, I've read a bunch of articles and watched lots of youtube videos to try to prepare for this day. I love making our favorite dishes at home because you can personalize it to your liking and have fun/be creative with it. Eugene actually requested that I make tonkotsu ramen  but when I found out that it actually takes 2-3 days to make (because of the grueling broth-making process), I asked Eugene if I try a more simple recipe first. Obviously he gave me the green light, and today I attempted to make my first home-made ramen.

I chose Miso Ramen because it's known to be one of the more simple recipes. The broth doesn't take as long, and I had a tub of un-used miso in my fridge. 

The hardest part was preparing the chashu. I wanted to try to be super fancy and make it "restaurant style" and I learned that the way to do this is to roll the pork and tie it with butchers twine. This shape, opposed to merely cooking it flat, is known to help trap moisture and flavor. It also makes it look super fancy. 

I didn't have twine so I used a roll of 100% cotton sewing thread that I had - which the websites say is a decent substitute. The downside was that it didn't hold as well as twine probably would - so next time, I'm definitely getting my twine!

They say to leave the skin on. And marinade it in this delicious little pot of goodies. Mine had soy sauce, mirin, white wine (in place of sake), sugar, ginger, green onions and lots of garlic. Most recipes will call for you to throw this in the oven for 3-4 hours after it comes to a boil. I initially did that - and then 2 hours later got impatient. Also, my small little apartment got SO STINKIN' HOT from the oven being on, so of course I had to transfer it to my handy dandy dutch oven. 

Within 30 minutes, this happened. 

The key to making soft, tender and juicy chashu is to cook it for a long time in low(er) heat. Cooking it on too high of a heat will cause the pork to dry. Unfortunately, this was the mistake that I made but I definitely know for next time. I cooked it in my dutch oven for another hour under low heat, with the lid ajar to prevent it from steaming. 

I flipped the meat every 15-20 minutes so that it would brown evenly. Near the end, when most of the marinade begins to reduce - you have to watch closely to prevent burning! It happens FAST. (Look at all those yummy garlic and ginger pieces!)

Preparing the egg was also pretty challenging. 

You boil first, then let it marinade in the same concoction you used for the chashu. First, poke a hole with a tack on the fat end of an unboiled egg. Throw it in boiling water for six minutes only. (I was so afraid of over-cooking the eggs, I might have taken them out too soon!)

After you boiled your eggs for 6 minutes, they should be "soft boiled". Wash them in cold water and peel off their shells. Marinade with some of the chashu marinade. 

Once the pork is cooked through - put the pork in an airtight container and cool it down in the fridge.) It will be easier to cut once they've cooled. 

Make your broth. I used 1:1 chicken broth and water. I added some dashi and lots of minced garlic and ginger. I let it boil like crazy. 

I strained the small garlic + ginger bits out. You could leave em in. No one will get mad at ya! If I had an immersion blender, I'd probably blend all these little goodies into the broth. One day... : ) 

Add some soy sauce! 

Then finally, your miso! 

Mash it in over a strainer to prevent the large chunks for getting lost in the mix, 

Arrange your toppings. I love filling mine with veggies. Eugene requested extra chashu in his. We both got what we wanted and we were both happy people. : )

We added a little bit of hot sauce and ate it with some cali rolls. It was perfect!

Hopefully I'll perfect the chashu and eggs next time!

Tonkotsu is next. : )

xoxo

Miso Ramen with Chashu Pork

Recipe Adapted from The Steamy Kitchen  & Serious Eats 
Feeds 3-4

Ingredients

4 eggs for the Ajitsuke Tamago
2 lb pork belly for Chashu Pork

marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup mirin
1 cup sake (I used white wine)
1/2 cup sugar
6 stalks of green onion
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
6-8 cloves of garlic 

10 oz (285 g) dried ramen noodles

for topping
1/2 cup (200 g) fresh or canned bamboo shoots, sliced1/2 cup (170 g) fresh or canned corn kernels, drained1 cup (80 g) defrosted frozen or fresh spinach
1/2 small cabbage, chopped
2 cup bean sprouts

broth
6 cups broth (preferably vegetable or pork, I used chicken)
1-inch ginger, peeled and minced
5 cloves garlic.2 teaspoons instant dashi granules1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste4 tablespoons fresh miso paste
for the finishing touch
1 stalk green onion (scallions), finely chopped4 teaspoons chili oil (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare eggs (using this recipe for Ajitsuke Tamago) and pork belly (using recipe for  Chashu Pork).

2. Prepare broth by bringing it to a boil. (I used 1:1 of chicken broth + water because that's all I had. I used water because chicken broth is usually on the heavier side.) Add minced garlic and ginger until it comes to a boil. Add dashi. Remove excess garlic and ginger bits, or use immersion blender and blend into broth. Add soysauce. Begin mixing miso paste into broth over a fine mesh strainer to prevent large chunks from getting into the broth. Bring to boil for another 10-15 minutes. Add more miso paste to taste.

3. Place noodles in boiling water until al dente. Set aside in separate bowls for serving. 

4. Arrange toppings per each person's preference. Pour broth over noodles and toppings. Top with fresh chopped green onions and chili oil/paste (optional). Serve immediately.