Pork Belly Ramen

Picture this scenario:  You’re out with your friends in the city and you find a Ramen joint. Hell yeah! At last, your childhood dream has come alive! Who wouldn’t want to have Ramen at a restaurant? It’s right in the childhood if you were a 90’s baby like I was. You finish your Ramen, but you feel dissatisfied. Not in the sense of it not tasting good, but your stomach is upset. You feel bloated and full of regret. Your childhood dreams feel like they were crushed. You go home at the end of the evening and have a bowl of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream because you feel hungry a few hours later. Oooof! I’m sure we’ve all been there before. It’s like a double whammy because you had so much salt from the ramen and you crave sweet in order to bring your body back into balance. Don’t fret. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE YOU! Why is that you ask? I have this awesome recipe for homemade Ramen that you can make in the comfort of your own kitchen. No need to spend hours driving back and forth to feel sick afterwards. And the best part is that I’m going to provide it to you right here and right now. I bring you my delicious, healthy, homemade Pork Belly Ramen!

Ingredients:

For the Ramen:

• 2 lbs of Pork Belly **

• Oil of choice (for the pork belly)

• 1 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and diced

• 6 cups vegetable stock

• 2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce, plus more to taste

• 1 Tbsp white or yellow miso paste (ensure vegan friendliness on package)

• 1 tsp sesame oil (for flavor), plus more to taste

• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar or mirin

• 1 tsp Korean gojuchang sauce (can find in the Asian section at your local supermarket)

• 8 ounces Ramen noodles (You can get creative here with the noodle choices)

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

• Green onions (for topping)

• Sriracha sauce (for topping)

For the Roasted Root Vegetables:

• 1 8 oz package fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped

• 6-8 radishes, sliced thin

• 1-2 baby bok choy, chopped

• 1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped

• ½ red cabbage, sliced thin

• 2-3 large carrots, chopped

• 5 cloves garlic (2 1/2 Tbsp), roughly chopped

Directions:

** Before you prepare anything, I suggest cooking your pork belly the night before because it takes over 2 hours to prepare. I’ve provided a video to help you cook the pork belly properly: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/techniques/how-roast-pork-belly

1)      Chop your veggies. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a large baking sheet, lay out your veggies on a foiled baking sheet. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the veggies are golden brown.

2)      While the veggies are roasting, begin to carve your pork belly into thin slices. Put the thin slices on the stove over medium heat with some oil of choice. Cook in batches until both sides are brown and crispy.

3)       Prepare your Ramen noodles. Cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

4)      Begin making the broth for the Ramen by putting all of the ingredients (except the eggs) into a pot and simmer on low.

4)      When the veggies are done, remove them from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes, and then put them into the broth.

5)      Turn up the heat to medium and add the eggs. Stir and cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes until the eggs are cooked through.

6)      Serve with the noodles, green onions, sriracha, and pork belly. Enjoy! :)