MISO RAMEN
// MAKES 4 BOWLS
By emulsifying the miso into your broth, you get a silky gravy-like broth that is the richest of all ramen. This is what I crave on really cold days in the dead of winter.
Note
This recipe assumes that you have broth, tare, and fats already made. From there, plan to make all the toppings before assembling bowls. (For more on ramen assembly instructions, see this page.)
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Full-size baking sheet
Wok or skillet with at least 4-cup capacity
Whisk
Large stockpot with strainer or double boiler with holes
FOR TOPPINGS:
4 slices Soy Pork Belly
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1½ teaspoons canola oil (or other high-heat neutral oil)
4 pats of unsalted butter
1 cup mung bean sprouts
4 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions (green parts only)
FOR RAMEN:
3 tablespoons pork fat
8 tablespoons Miso Tare (best made at least 1 day in advance)
4 cups tonkotsu broth
4 pinches ground white pepper
4 pinches HonDashi (optional, for a punch of umami)
18 ounces fresh ramen noodles or 12 ounces dried
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Preheat the oven to 375°F.
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In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, sear the pork belly on both sides to give it some color and set aside.
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On a baking sheet, toss the corn in the oil and spread it out in an even layer. Roast the corn for 15 minutes or until it reaches your desired level of caramelization.
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In a wok over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the pork fat. Using a whisk, stir the tare into the wok. Watch carefully and work quickly to ensure that it does not burn. Cook until you begin to smell the aroma of miso.
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Add the broth to the wok, whisking, and bring it to a boil.
ASSEMBLY:
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Fill your biggest pot three-quarters full with water over high heat to bring the water to a boil, ideally with a strainer (or double boiler with holes) that fits into it. Meanwhile, make sure your serving bowls and all toppings, tare, and fats are laid out for easy access. Mark each serving bowl with ½ tablespoon of the pork fat, 1 pinch of the pepper, and 1 pinch of the HonDashi, if using.
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Slice the ramen eggs in half and set aside.
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Cook the noodles according to the package instructions, minus a few seconds of cooking time, as the noodles will continue to cook in the hot broth.
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When the noodles have about 30 seconds of cooking time left, ladle 1½ cups of broth into each bowl. When the noodles are done, pull the strainer containing them out of the hot water, and using chopsticks, divide the noodles as evenly as possible among the serving bowls, working as quickly as you can.
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Once the noodles are in, use chopsticks to lightly stir them around, so that the broth and fat evenly coat each noodle. Then grab as many noodles as possible, pull them upward out of the broth, and lay them flat across the top, creating a sort of raft on which to lay the toppings.
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To each bowl, add 1 slice of the pork belly, half an egg, ¼ cup of the corn, and ¼ cup of the bean sprouts and one pat of butter. Finish with 1 tablespoon of the scallions and serve immediately.
TERMINOLOGY FOR RAMEN GAWKERS
There is no one standardized classification system for the thousands of ramen styles that have been created since the fifties. To help you navigate the crowded field, here are the definitions of some of the terms you might come across in the nomenclature. Remember, there are no rules, just guidelines. This list will help you as you “ramen gawk” online or in ramen shops.
Assari denotes a light-style broth, like a shio.
Kotteri is a heavier-style ramen, like a tonkotsu. In many tonkotsu shops, you can order the bowl “kotteri,” which would mean a more concentrated broth, with fatback speckles floating in it for added richness.
Double soup simply means the blending of two types of soup to make a bowl. A shio with dashi is a double soup.
Gyokai is used to describe the addition of a fish or shellfish to the broth for a deeper, richer, “funkier” flavor (e.g., gyokai tonkotsu).
