SHOYU RAMEN WITH CHASHU PORK

This story was created by our partners at the Heavy Table, a weekly culinary newsletter dedicated to covering the best food and drink of the Upper Midwest. Back them on Patreon to receive four distinct email newsletters focused on dining, the restaurant business, spirits, and home cooking: http://www.patreon.com/heavytable

James Norton / Heavy Table

The first thing you do is make your Shoyu Tare.

SHOYU TARE

Makes about 4 cups

2 1/2 cups (600ml) dark soy sauce
1 1/3 cups (300ml) water
5 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp cooking sake
1 Tbsp sugar
One large green onion or small leek, green part only
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 slices ginger (about 2” by 3/4”)

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat, whisking to dissolve sugar. When tare comes to a boil, remove from heat and strain.

The next thing to do is create a Basic Broth.

BASIC BROTH

7 oz. (200g) dried anchovies (niboshi) or 2 Tbsp anchovy paste
17 cups (4l) water
1 pound (500g) pork belly
28 oz. (800g) ground or finely chopped chicken breasts or thighs
4 large green onions or 2 small leeks, green part only
4 slices ginger (each about 2” by 3/4”)
7-inch-square piece of kombu
4 cups (23g) bonito flakes

Stuff dried anchovies into a dashi stock bag or tied-off cheesecloth sachet, or use paste. Combine anchovies with water, pork belly, chicken, green onion or leek, ginger, and kombu. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to break up ground or chopped chicken.

When broth comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

Remove the boiled pork and reserve to make Pork Chashu (see below).

Stuff the bonito shavings into a dashi stock bag or cheesecloth sachet. Add to pot and simmer for 3 minutes. I’ve messed this step up by just dumping them into the broth, and - it’s OK. You can strain them out at the end.

Remove stock bag(s) and strain broth into a bowl.

Third, make your Aromatic Fat.

James Norton / Heavy Table

AROMATIC FAT

3.5 oz. (100g) pork lard
1/2 tsp sesame oil
5 oz. (150g) chicken skin
1 medium green onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, quartered lengthwise
2-5 dried Japanese or ancho chili peppers, sliced (5 is a pretty substantial burn)

Warm the lard, sesame oil, and chicken skin in a skillet over medium heat until fat begins to make spitting sounds.

Reduce heat to low and add scallions, garlic, and chili peppers.

Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Strain out liquid fat, and save bits of scallions, garlic, and chiles to garnish ramen. Save chicken skins to make Chicken Cracklings with Ponzu. Seriously, the chicken skin cracklings are the ramen appetizer I never knew I needed, but has nevertheless become a must on ramen nights!

James Norton / Heavy Table

Fourth, set aside your GARLIC, CHILES, AND SCALLION TOPPING MIX (see above).

Fifth, marinade your PORK CHASHU. Combine your boiled pork with 1 1/2 cups of Shoyu Tare and refrigerate for six hours.

Sixth, make your MARINATED JAMMY EGGS. Combine six cups water, 1 Tbsp vinegar, and 1 Tbsp salt in a saucepan over high heat. Using a thumbtack or pin, poke a hole in the bottom of six eggs. When water boils, add eggs gently to water and boil on medium heat for 7 minutes, then over high heat for 1 minute. Transfer eggs to ice water to cool, then peel once cooled. Marinate eggs for six hours with 1/2 cup Shoyu Tare plus 1/2 cup water.

Wait for six hours!

James Norton / Heavy Table

Seventh, when you’re ready to start feeding people, make and serve CHICKEN CRACKLINGS WITH PONZU. Combine 1 Cup chicken skin left over from Aromatic Fat (cut into bite-sized pieces) with a pinch of salt, black pepper to taste, and 1 Tbsp cornstarch or tapioca flour. Heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in skillet, and cook chicken skins on low heat until crispy.

Serve chicken skins on greens (optional) and drizzle with ponzu sauce, chopped scallions, and sesame seeds, with a lemon wedge.

Eighth, make and assemble your Shoyu Ramen.

James Norton / Heavy Table

HOMEMADE SHOYU RAMEN

NOODLES

4-5 oz. fresh curly ramen noodles - United Noodles is a good bet for these, but most Asian markets will do a great job, including Dragon Star and Ha Tien

SOUP

3 Tbsp + 1 tsp Shoyu Tare
1 Tbsp Aromatic Fat
A pinch of Garlic, Chiles, and Scallion Topping Mix
1 1/4 Cups Basic Broth

TOPPINGS

2-4 slices Pork Chashu
1 Marinated Jammy Egg, cut in half lengthwise
1 Tbsp chopped scallions
2 or more slices naruto fish cake

Put tare and fat into a serving bowl. Add pinch of Topping Mix, going easy on the chiles if people are spicy food-sensitive. Cook ramen noodles following package directions. Bring broth to simmer and add to bowl. Add noodles to bowl. Garnish with pork, egg, scallions and sliced fish cake.