Pork Belly Ramen

  • Prep 30 min
  • Total 2 hr 0 min
  • Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pork belly
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Ramen Base

  • 3 pieces kombu
  • 1 ounce dried mushrooms
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 3 inches fresh ginger
  • 4 dried bird chiles (optional)
  • 2 quarts chicken stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 2/3 cups bonito flakes
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Add Ins

  • 12 ounces udon noodles, cooked
  • 5 ounces baby spinach
  • 12 ounces shiitake mushrooms
  • 4 scallions sliced thin
  • Sesame seeds, garnish

Steps

  • 1
    For pork belly, preheat oven to 425°F. Cut narrow slits in pork belly, cutting through fat, but not into meat. Make a grid of about 1/2 inch cuts.
  • 2
    Rub pork belly with sesame oil, salt, and pepper.
  • 3
    Bake pork belly piece for about an hour until skin is very crispy and belly is cooked through.
  • 4
    For soup base, add kombu, dried mushrooms, chile peppers, garlic, and ginger, to a large pot. Cover with chicken stock and water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
  • 5
    Add in bonito flakes and simmer for another few minutes. Then kill the heat, keep covered, and let sit for 10 minutes.
  • 6
    Drain stock through a wire mesh sieve to remove ingredients. Return clean broth to a large pot and bring to a rapid boil. Season with soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Let the stock simmer until it reduces by about a quarter, about 15-20 minutes.
  • 7
    In a large skillet, add a drizzle of neutral oil over medium heat. Then add shiitake mushrooms and cook until they soften, about five minutes. Add spinach and continue to cook until spinach is wilted. Then turn heat down to low and keep warm until needed.
  • 8
    When ready to make a bowl, remove pork belly from oven. As an added bonus, you can add a few tablespoons of the rendered pork belly fat to the soup base. A little bit of fat will help round out the flavors.
  • 9
    Slice pork belly very thin.
  • 10
    Cook udon noodles according to package. Then divide noodles evenly between four bowls. Split spinach and mushrooms between the bowls. Add a few slices of pork belly to each bowl (it's very rich), then ladle in your stock to cover the noodles. Garnish with fresh scallions and sesame seeds.

No nutrition information available for this recipe
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