Shoyu Ramen

Ingredients for Shoyu Ramen

• 2 pieces dried kombu

• 120ml reduced-sodium soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons dry sake

• 1 tablespoon mirin

• 675g boneless pork shoulder

• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 900g chicken necks, backs, and/or wings

• 450g pork spareribs

• 2 bunches spring onions, chopped

• 2 carrots, peeled, cut into pieces

• 1 head of garlic, halved horizontally

• 1 1" piece ginger, peeled, sliced

• 60ml bonito flakes

• 3 large eggs

• 6 140g packages fresh thin and wavy ramen noodles (or six 90g packages dried)

• 80g menma (fermented bamboo shoots)

• 6 spring onions, thinly sliced

• 3 toasted nori sheets, torn in half

• Chilli oil, toasted sesame oil, and shichimi togarashi (for serving)

MAKE KOMBU DASHI AND TARE The stock's complexity comes from two elements: kombu dashi (a broth) and tare (a soybased mixture).* For the dashi, combine kombu and 3.8L cold water in a large bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours. For the tare, combine soy sauce, sake, and mirin in a small bowl; cover and chill.

PREP PORK SHOULDER Season pork shoulder with salt and pepper. Roll up and tie with kitchen twine at 2" intervals. (This helps keep the meat intact while cooking and makes for round, compact slices.)

COOK PORK SHOULDER AND MAKE STOCK Heat oil in a large heavy pot (at least 7.6L ) over medium-high heat. Cook pork shoulder, turning, until brown all over, 10-12 minutes. Add chicken, spareribs, spring onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, and bonito flakes. Remove kombu from dashi; discard. Add as much kombu dashi as will fit in pot once liquid is boiling (reserve remaining dashi). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, skimming the surface occasionally and adding remaining dashi as liquid reduces, until pork shoulder is tender and stock has reduced to about 1.9L , 2 1/2-3 hours.

CHILL PORK SHOULDER AND STOCK Remove pork shoulder from stock and let cool. Wrap tightly in plastic and chill until ready to use. (Chilling pork will make meat easier to slice.) Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into another large pot or a large bowl or container; discard solids (including ribs and chicken). Cover and chill.

COOK EGGS Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Carefully add eggs one at a time and boil gently for 7 minutes. Egg yolks should be shiny yellow and almost jammy; egg white should be just set. Drain eggs and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking; let cool. Peel; set aside. (Eggs can be cooked 1 day ahead. Keep unpeeled eggs covered in cool water. Cover and chill.)

SLICE PORK Remove string and thinly slice pork; cover and set aside.

REHEAT STOCK AND COOK NOODLES When ready to serve, bring stock to a simmer; it should be very hot.

At the same time, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions until al dente; drain (no need to salt the water, as ramen noodles contain more salt than pasta).

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER Divide noodles among 6 deep bowls.

Top with sliced pork, placing it off to one side. Add tare to hot stock and ladle over pork to warm through (stock should come up just to the level of the noodles).

Place a small pile of menma next to pork. Halve eggs and place next to menma.

Place a small pile of sliced spring onions next to egg. Tuck half a sheet of nori between side of bowl and noodles so it's just poking out.

Serve ramen with chilli oil, sesame oil, and shichimi togarashi.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.