Chashu Ramen

Pork belly slices that fall apart under the pressure of chopsticks, a clear broth loaded with umami, and firm noodles. The aroma of heated soy sauce and sesame oil hits you as soon as you enter the kitchen.

• Prep time: 30 min
• Cook time: 90 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 1759
• Protein: 46 g
• Carbs: 87 g
• Fat: 133 g

Ingredients

• 800 g Pork belly ( whole or tied )
• 150 ml soy sauce
• 100 ml mirin
• 50 ml Sake or rice alcohol
• 2 tbsp White sugar
• 3 piece Garlic ( crushed )
• 1 tsp Ginger powder
• 1.5 L dashi stock
• 400 g ramen noodles
• 4 piece Egg
• 3 piece Spring onion, sauté/poêlé sans matière grasse ( thinly sliced )
• 2 piece nori seaweed ( cut into squares )
• 100 g Bambusa vulgaris or Phyllostachys edulis optional ( drained )
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil
• 30 g Fresh ginger ( peeled and sliced )

Instructions

1. Searing the pork

   In a hot pot, sear the pork belly on all sides until the fat is golden and crispy. Remove any excess melted fat.

2. Simmering the Chashu

   Add soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, crushed garlic, and ginger. Cover with water. Bring to a simmer, then cook on low heat for 1h15. The meat should be tender and fall apart with a fork.

3. Preparing eggs and toppings

   Cook eggs for 6 minutes in boiling water to keep the yolk runny. Plunge into ice water, peel, and marinate in some of the pork cooking liquid. Slice the green onions and cut the nori sheet.

4. Broth and noodles

   Heat the dashi broth. Cook the ramen noodles in a separate pot of boiling water according to instructions (usually 2-3 minutes) so they stay firm.

5. Plating

   Pour a ladle of the pork cooking sauce (the tare) into the bottom of the bowl, add the hot dashi broth, then the noodles. Arrange the pork slices, the halved egg, bamboo, and nori. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil.

Chef's tips

• The secret is in the tare: don't throw away the pork cooking liquid, strain it and use it to season your broth.
• For perfect eggs, use eggs straight from the fridge and start the timer as soon as they are submerged.

Storage

The pork and broth keep for 3 days in the fridge. Only cook the noodles at the last minute to prevent them from getting soggy.