How to Make Ramen at Home
Ramen is a Japanese dish, and even though there are different variations of it that depend on the region in which it’s made, the basic recipe mainly consists of noodles and a rich broth made of pork meat, bones, soy sauce, and other spices. Then, depending on the recipe, you can have different add-ons. 5-Minute Crafts is showing you a step by step way to cook this basic recipe at home. Please keep in mind that this may vary from the authentic Japanese recipe.
1. Make tare.
Tare is a Japanese sauce used to moisten and marinate roasts. It is sweetened or spiced with ingredients like vinegar. In the case of ramen, it’s used to marinate the meat and give an extra boost of flavor to the broth.
What you’ll need:
- 3 cups of water
- 2 cups of soy sauce
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 sheet of nori seaweed
- 3 sheets of ginger
- ½ cup of rice vinegar
- 2 chives or scallions (green parts only)
Instructions
1. Place the sliced seaweed in a pot.
2. Pour in the soy sauce and water.
3. Add the rice vinegar.
4. Add ginger, garlic, and spring onion. Cover the pan and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, heat the mixture and bring it to a boil. The minute it starts boiling, remove it from the heat and set it aside for later.
2. Make the broth.
- Chicken thighs (with bone)
- 1 lb of pork leg
- 1 lb of pork knuckle
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 piece of ginger
- 2 chives or scallions (green parts only)
- Sesame oil (optional)
- Smoked pork chops (optional)
Instructions
1. Place the chicken bones and pork meat in a pot.
2. Cover it with water and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 5 minutes and then remove any impurities and foam using a skimmer or a spoon.
3. Take the meat out of the pot and save it in another pot.
4. Add garlic, onion, carrots, spring onion, and ginger to this new pot. Cover everything with water and cook it for 3 hours. Strain the broth and save.
5. Put some oil in a skillet and sear the chunks of pork leg on both sides.
6. When the meat is properly seared, take it off the fire and place it in a sealable bag, preferably a Ziploc.
7. Pour enough tare to cover the meat and let it marinate in the fridge for about 2 hours.
3. Make ramen eggs.
1. Puncture the eggs with the help of a needle or tack.
2. Put the water to some heat and bring it to a boil. Add the eggs and cook them for 7 to 8 minutes.
3. Take them out of the water and immediately transfer them to ice water in order to stop the cooking.
4. Peel them very carefully as not to break them.
5. Put them in a resealable bag (a Ziploc) and cover them with tare. Let them marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
4. Make chashu (optional).
- Sear the pork chops in a skillet with a bit of oil. Once seared, place them in a resealable bag (a Ziploc) or in a bowl and cover them with tare. Let them marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Sear again before serving.
5. Put everything together.
1. Place 3-4 tablespoons of tare in a bowl.
2. Fill about half of the bowl with broth. If you want, you can add a little bit of pork leg.
3. To cook the noodles, heat some water in a pot. Put the noodles in when the water is boiling and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or whatever time is indicated on the package. Once ready, place them on the plate.
4. Add the soft boiled egg, pieces of nori seaweed, the chopped smoked chops, scallions, or chives to taste, and a spoonful of sesame oil (which is optional). Enjoy.
