Simple Homemade Ramen

This is a simple ramen made with chicken broth, marinated eggs, pork, shiitake mushrooms and ramen noodles. Some components, like the eggs and pork, are prepared in advance, but the result is worth every step, you’ll get a bowl of cozy Japanese-inspired soup without complicated techniques.

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

Marinated Eggs
•2 eggs
•100 ml soy sauce
•100 ml mirin
•100 ml water
•2 cm fresh ginger
•1 garlic clove

Pork
•4 slices pork, about 5 mm thick
•3 tbsp soy sauce
•2 tbsp mirin
•1 tsp brown sugar
•2 garlic cloves
•4 slices fresh ginger

Broth
•1 liter chicken broth
•4 shiitake mushrooms (fresh or dried, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes)
•3–4 slices fresh ginger
•2 garlic cloves
•1/2 sachet (about 1 tsp) dashi no moto (optional)

To serve
•2 portions ramen noodles, cooked according to package instructions
•Shimeji mushrooms (optional), pre-boiled for 2–3 minutes
•Green onions, to taste
•Sesame seeds, to taste

Instructions

Marinated Eggs
1. Bring water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and gently lower the eggs into the water. To prevent the shells from cracking, take the eggs out of the fridge about an hour before cooking.
2. Cook the eggs over very low heat for 6½ minutes. The whites will be just set, while the yolks stay creamy. Transfer the eggs immediately to an ice bath to stop the cooking process, this also makes them much easier to peel.
3. Carefully peel the eggs and place them in a small container.
4. Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger. Mix them with soy sauce, mirin and water. Pour the marinade over the eggs and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Pork
Sous-Vide Method
1. Place the pork in a vacuum bag, add 1 tablespoon of the marinade, crushed garlic, and a few slices of ginger. Vacuum-seal using the moist setting and cook sous-vide at 70°C (158°F) for 60 minutes.
Lately, I’ve been using the sous-vide method more and more for cooking proteins. Low-temperature cooking keeps the meat incredibly juicy while preserving its natural flavor and aroma.

Alternative methods
Frying
1. Mix soy sauce, mirin and brown sugar. Add minced garlic and ginger, then marinate the pork slices for 60 minutes.
2. Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels, brushing off excess garlic and ginger.
3. Heat a pan over high heat with a small amount of neutral oil. Sear the pork slices for 2–3 minutes, depending on thickness, until nicely caramelized.

Baking
1. Mix soy sauce, mirin and brown sugar. Add minced garlic and ginger, then marinate the pork slices for 60 minutes.
2.Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels, brushing off excess garlic and ginger.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F. Arrange the pork slices in a single layer on a lined baking tray. Bake for 8–12 minutes, turning once halfway through.
For extra caramelization, switch to grill / broil mode for the last 1–2 minutes, keeping a close eye to prevent burning.

Broth
1. Add crushed garlic, ginger slices and shiitake mushrooms to the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
2.About 3 minutes before the end gently add the shimeji mushrooms. They don’t need much cooking and prefer a gentle touch. Remove from heat, add dashi no moto (optional) and stir.

Assembly
1. Cook the ramen noodles according to the package instructions and divide them between bowls.
2. Pour the hot broth over the noodles. I added a tablespoon of the egg marinade to boost the flavor and it was a great idea.
3. Top with sliced pork, halved marinated eggs, shiitake and shimeji mushrooms. Finish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!