I had been making this dish for a few years now, and it's one of those recipes where I completely winged it and it ended up being freaking delicious and is now a dinner staple in my household. The broth is creamy and savory, allowing the flavors to layer perfectly. It still harks to Asian flavors but with a few surprises, and it's one of those dishes where you can add things from your pantry and substitute some ingredients but it'll still be a homerun. This recipe includes pork belly, but you can use any meat that you like, or none at all. Please let me know if you give this a try - I would LOVE to know what you think!
Servings: 2-3 depending on how hungry you are
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 50 min
INGREDIENTS:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 a medium-size onion, diced
1/3 cup diced mushrooms (we use Shitake, but any mushroom will work)
12 oz coconut milk (1 can)
16 oz of chicken stock (half a carton)
Boneless pork belly
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Sriracha
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2x instant ramen noodle packets
2 eggs
A lime
Toppings like peanuts, bean sprouts, green onion, etc...
DIRECTIONS:
Place a small cast iron skillet in the oven to heat up at 500 degrees F.
Place the garlic and onion at the bottom of a large pot with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Turn the burner on medium heat. Cook until the onions turn translucent (about 3-4 minutes), stirring to ensure they don't burn. Add the mushrooms and cook for another minute.
Add the coconut milk and chicken stock to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for 5 minutes, watching so it does not boil over.
Dry the pork belly with a paper towel, then season the pork belly generously with salt and pepper. Carefully remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and place the pork belly, fat side down on the skillet (the pork belly we get from our grocer is already cut into two inch wide strips, so if yours doesn't look like that, you may need to cut them yourselves or change up your cooking method). Place the skillet with the pork belly back into the oven, this time with the temperature at 400 degrees F. Allow the pork to roast for 7-10 minutes, flipping halfway through the cook time. When all sides of the pork belly have browned, turn the meat so the fat is on top then broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest on a cutting board at least 5 minutes before cutting.
Add the peanut butter, ginger, cayenne pepper, paprika, black pepper, Sriracha, sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce, and any flavoring packets from the instant ramen packages to the pot on the stove. Stir well and allow the mixture to cook for 15-20 minutes.
Place 2 eggs in a small pot and add enough water to just cover the eggs. Place the pot with the eggs on the stove over high heat. When the water begins to boil, set a timer for 4 minutes. After the 4 minutes are up, place the eggs in an ice bath to stop the cooking.
If you like a thinner broth with your ramen, feel free to add another cup of stock or water to the broth at this time. Place the noodles from the instant ramen packages into the pot and let them cook in the broth for about 5 minutes or until they are soft.
It's time to assemble your meal! Divide the noodles and broth into bowls. Slice the pork belly and place the slices in the bowls. Peel and slice your eggs in half and add them to the bowls. Add other toppings like peanuts, bean sprouts, green onion, sliced cabbage, etc to enhance the flavor and texture of your ramen. Squeeze a wedge of lime over the top and add more sriracha, soy sauce, or other condiments to taste. Enjoy hot!
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