Pork Belly “Tonkotsu” Ramen

R-Amen that we live in a world where bowls of warm noodle soup exist, amiright?  There’s something about Ramen that always puts a smile on my face (and my husband’s; which is no mean trick because he’s one of those “Soup isn’t food it’s just sustenance!” kind of people).  It’s far easier to make than you’d think, provided you can get hold of all the Japanese cooking essentials like Mirin and Miso.  I used to make it a lot when I lived in London because there was a Japanese Centre in Piccadilly where all the ingredients could be easily found.  Nowadays, the local supermarket has pretty much everything you need to make an easy peasy bowl of ramen. 🙂

Pork Belly “Tonkotsu” Ramen – Serves 2

Ingredients

• Pork Belly Strips
• Egg
• 1 tbsp of Mirin
• 1 sachet of Green Miso Paste (I used the packet kind you can find in the supermarket)
• 500ml boiling water
• Dried Seaweed
• Chopped Spring Onions
• Noodles of choice
• Carrots (cut into thin strips)
• Pea Shoots

1. First, cook the Pork Belly: I roasted mine in the oven for an hour at 190°, turning once to make sure both sides are nice and crispy.
2. Next, cut down the pork belly into thin slices and add to a deep saucepan (at this point you can fry them in a little oil to crisp them up a bit more if you like).  Add the mirin and the miso paste and then pour on the hot water.
3. Add the chopped spring onions and carrots and then leave to simmer for about an hour.
4. Meanwhile, boil your egg for five minutes and then drop into a bowl of cold water to prevent the yolk from cooking any further.
5. Add the noodles to your stock (how long they take to cook will depend on which noodles you use – but usually they’ll only take a couple of minutes).
6. Split the noodles between two bowls and then pour on the stock with the meat and veg.  Garnish with seaweed, pea shoots and half a soft boiled egg.
7. Slurp away! 🍜

How’s your week been?  Have a great weekend everyone! 🙂