Growing up in Korea I learned to pronounce it ramyun but the Japanese pronunciation seems to have caught on more. However you pronounce it, it sure is a mighty tasty bowl of yumminess!
The best thing about ramen soup is it’s a “clean out the fridge” kind of meal. Anything can go in it as long as your heart and soul is in it first. I used pork loin for this recipe, but you could use just about any meat you like. Make it with a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to save time or use leftover turkey the day after Thanksgiving. The same goes for the toppings. Pretty much whatever vegetables you have in the fridge can be used.
There’s a great movie starring Brittany Murphy called The Ramen Girl where an American girl goes to Japan and ends up an apprentice for a ramen chef. The chef’s soups are almost magical and she has to learn how to create the same magic with her own ramen concoctions. At one point she uses corn and he almost beats her, but in the end she makes it work because that’s her own style she brings to the soup. And that’s really the essence of ramen! It can be such a magical creation if you pour your soul into it and make it your own.
You’re going to be testing your broth periodically, and one of my favorite kitchen tools is this ladle I use for taste testing (picture below). Don’t use a metal spoon or you might burn your lips. And I like the ladle to be a small diameter (it’s just for a quick taste) but deep in case I’m testing something that has meaty bites in it.
For the beef bouillon cube, you can use whatever is your favorite. I’m sure there’s a good Korean or Japanese version out there, but for this recipe I used a cube typically used for Vietnamese Pho (photo below).
Serves 4
Prep time 1.5 hrs
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb pork loin
For the brine (if using):
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
- 2 cups hot water
For the soup:
- 8 cups beef broth (I use Swanson – it’s not cloudy like other brands are.)
- 8 cups water
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 1 onion, peeled
- 1 shallot, peeled
- 2″ piece of ginger, peeled
- 6 garlic cloves
- 6 Thai chili peppers, ends removed (optional – it won’t add too much heat)
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 cup sake
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
To Serve:
- 20 oz ramen style noodles
- 4 baby boy choy, rinsed, rooted, and sliced in half
- 1/2 cup carrots, julienned
- 1 egg per serving
- 3 green onions, chopped
RECIPE:
You don’t have to brine the pork loin but it will make the meat nice and juicy if you have time. If not brining, skip this step. Mix the brine ingredients and let it come back to room temperature. Add the brine to the pork loin in a ziplock bag and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Set the oven to broil. When the oven is heated, add the onion, shallot, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers and allow to char a little bit. The peppers and garlic will char first, so you’ll need to remove them prior to the onion, shallot and ginger.
While the oven heats up, start your broth by adding the beef broth, water, and bouillon cube to a stock pot and bring to a boil. Add the charred vegetables to the broth and reduce the heat to allow the broth to simmer. After about 30 minutes add the sake, mirin, and soy sauce. Continue to simmer for at least another 30 minutes, tasting and adjusting periodically as needed. If your broth is reducing too much you can add more water.
Pour the broth through a colander lined with cheese cloth into another pot to remove all the solids. Return the nice, clean broth to the stove and continue to simmer for another 15-30 min.
Cook the noodles according to package directions, then drain and let sit.
While the broth simmers remove the pork from the brine, rinse it, and dry the meat with a paper towel. Season the pork to your liking. Salt and pepper will do just fine, but for this recipe I used 1 tsp ginger powder, 1/2 tsp chili powder, salt, and pepper. Bring the oven to 400 degrees. In an oven safe pan on medium high heat, brown all sides of the pork in a tbsp of vegetable oil. Then put the pan with the pork in it into the oven until cooked to at least 145 degrees internal temperature. Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, and then slice the pork.
In a wok or pan, stir fry the carrots in 1 tbsp sesame oil over medium high heat for about 3 minutes or until done but still crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the bok choy to the pan and stir fry just enough that the leaves don’t wilt. Set bok choy aside. Cook the eggs in the pan to your liking and set aside. I prefer them sunny side up but you do you!
All that’s left is to assemble the bowls. Start by scooping some noodles into the bottom of the bowl. Add broth to the bowl and then place bok choy and pork over the noodles. Top with the carrots and green onions and serve.
