DASHI RAMEN RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. The day before you’re going to cook, make the Marinated eggs and prep the pork. Sit the pork in a tray, sprinkle with the kosher salt and the sugar, drizzle over the soy, then rub all over. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
  2. The next day, preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/gas 3.
  3. Remove the pork from the marinade, brushing off the excess salt and sugar. Place in a snug-fitting roasting tray, cover with tin foil and roast for 4 hours, or until super-tender, reserving the fat from the tray.
  4. Meanwhile, make the Ramen noodles.
  5. For the apple soffritto, peel and very finely chop the onion, garlic, ginger and apple (discarding the core). Place in a pan with the oil on a low heat and fry gently for 45 minutes, or until softened but not coloured, stirring regularly, then remove from the heat.
  6. For the shoyu tare, pour the sake and mirin into a pan and bring to the boil on a high heat. Leave to bubble away for 4 minutes, then reduce the heat to low, add the soy and apple soffritto, cook for an additional 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.
  7. When you’re getting ready to serve, make your broth: bring the stock and dashi to the boil in a large pan, then simmer over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Put a pan of water on to boil for the noodles, then thinly slice the pork.
  8. Get yourself six warm bowls. Spoon 1 tablespoon each of the shoyu tare and reserved pork fat into the bowls, then divide up the broth. Cook the noodles in the pan of boiling water for 45 seconds (or according to the packet instructions), then remove, shaking off any excess water.
  9. Divide between the bowls, using chopsticks to separate, if needed. Top each bowl with slices of pork and a halved marinated egg. Trim and finely slice the spring onions and chilli (deseed if you like), and scatter over the top to finish.

Steps:

• You can find all the Asian ingredients listed here at Asian markets, in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets, and online. Look in the refrigerated section of Asian markets for fresh noodles. Ask your butcher for chicken necks and backs.
• Two days ahead: For the dashi, combine kombu and 4 quarts 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.
• One day ahead: 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.)
• Heat oil in a large heavy pot (at least 8 quarts) over medium-high heat Cook pork shoulder, turning, until brown all over, 10–12 minutes. Add chicken, spareribs, scallions, 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 2 quarts, 2½–3 hours.
• 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.
• 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.
• Remove string and thinly slice pork; cover and set aside.
• 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).
• Just before serving, 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 scallions next to egg. Tuck half a sheet of nori between side of bowl and noodles so it’s just poking out.
• Serve ramen with chili oil, sesame oil, and shichimi togarashi.
• DO AHEAD: Eggs can be cooked 1 day ahead. Keep unpeeled eggs covered in cool water. Cover and chill.