Pork Belly Ramen

Ingredients

I was very nervous about calling this recipe “Ramen” because it’s a very loose interpretation of ramen. Kombu and Dashi aren’t easily accessible where I live but the owner of the Asian supermarket gave me some excellent advice. She said her Japanese clients mostly use miso paste and Ponzu to make their broths. This makes up for the lack of depth and flavor that kombu and dashi add. And so, I did the same thing. Ponzu is a citrussy sauce often used in Japanese cuisine and I have to say, it made such a difference to my broth. It might seem like there are a lot of ingredients in this pork belly Ramen recipe, however they all add such phenomenal flavor and are essential to creating that rich broth. Most are Asian pantry staples and I would recommend buying them and keeping them as they last for ages and work in so many dishes.

Bone-in pork belly. Using pork belly with the bone allows for the development of serious flavor. You could use a boneless pork belly but the broth won’t be as delicious. Carrots. Spring onion / Green onion. Fresh garlic. Fresh ginger. Chicken stock / Chicken broth. Soy sauce. Fish sauce. Optional and not traditional but I like the flavor it adds. Ponzu. If you can’t find ponzu use lemon or lime juice instead. Miso paste.

For serving:

Noodles. Any egg, rice or ramen noodles will work. Soft boiled egg.

How to cook pork belly for Ramen

I decided to use pork belly because I just can’t get over how unctuous and decadent it feels to eat generous slices of it. I first roasted the belly to create some depth and flavor and then removed the bones from the tender meat and turned them into the most delicious broth. The key to any good ramen is the ramen broth. Pack as much flavor into your broth as you can by using dried kelp (kombu), Bonito flakes or Miso. Dashi, a Japenese stock, is ideal as it is made with Kombu, Bonito or Niboshi (anchovies/sardines) and adds a serious punch to the broth. Cooking the broth with bones (in the Tonkotsu-style) enriches the broth and adds meaty umami.

How to make broth for ramen

Like I mentioned, the key to a fabulous ramen is the rich broth. To take my broth to the next level, I used the pork bones and cooked them in a large pot over medium-high heat in chicken stock (another cheat). I added garlic, ginger, spring onions, soy sauce, fish sauce and a few carrots for sweetness to create a seriously good pork-infused stock. This was then turned into the most delicious broth which I seasoned with more soy sauce, miso paste and ponzu. I reheated the slices of pork belly in the broth before serving with cooked noodles, a soft, jammy egg and fresh spring onions/green onions. You could also add sautéed shiitake mushrooms or greens of your choice.