Crispy Pork Ramen

CRISPY PORK RAMEN

This recipe looks like it takes a long time but the vast majority of the cooking is inactive (thanks to a beautiful marinade and a crock pot). You don’t need to do it all in one day. It’s a great recipe to cook in whatever way flows with your day/week. The ramen broth and pork can both be cooked a day ahead and reserved in the fridge overnight with no issue. The veggies and soft-boiled eggs can also be prepped ahead of time.

Serves 6-8
Takes 8 hours for marinade + 8 hours for slow cooker + 30 minutes active

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon kosher salt + more to taste

1 tablespoon sorghum syrup

1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

3-4 pound pork shoulder or picnic roast

1 bunch green onions

1 jalapeno, sliced

4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 onion, peeled and quartered

1/4 cup dried mushrooms

4 cups pork bone broth

4 cups chicken ramen broth

4 cups water

1/4 cup maple syrup

27.5 ounces (or 1 package) ramen noodles

4 soft-boiled eggs, optional

Matchsticked daikon, optional

Matchsticked carrot, optional

Sriracha or other hot sauce, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together salt, sorghum (or maple syrup), rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, and toasted sesame oil. Place pork in a sealable container or large ziploc bag and cover with the marinade, making sure the pork is well-coated. Leave to sit overnight (or for at least 30 minutes).

  2. Cut the dark green portions off your scallions and add to a crock pot. Thinly slice the rest and set aside for topping. Add jalapeno, garlic, onion, and dried mushrooms to the crock pot along with pork and the marinade juices. Top with broths and water. You should have just enough room for it all. Reduce the amount of water for space if needed (you can dilute it a bit later). 

  3. Cook pork and broth for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high- whatever works best for your schedule. 

  4. When the pork is finished, it should be fall apart tender. Move it to a cutting board or large pyrex container. Allow to cool slightly, and then shred.*

  5. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the ramen broth into a large stock pot. Discard all the solids.*

  6. When ready to eat your ramen, prepare your soft-boiled eggs (if using) and warm the ramen broth (if not already warm). Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add pork and maple syrup, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 3-5 minutes, turning every minute or two so that the underside of pork has a chance to get crispy and caramelized.  

  7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. If using the frozen ramen noodles from Enos’ store, they can go in frozen, and should be boiled for 4 minutes. Break them up with a fork after a minute of cooking. Drain and place in bowls. 

  8. Cover noodles with 1-2 cups of the ramen broth. Top with crispy pork, soft-boiled eggs, daikon, carrots, and reserved sliced scallions. Season with salt and hot sauce as desired. 

*If you are prepping the pork and ramen broth in advance. You can store the shredded pork and ramen broth in the fridge until ready to use. Both will store well for 4-5 days.

Lauren and her family

Recipe by Lauren Rudersdorf of The Leek & The Carrot

Lauren is a food blogger, freelancer, and recipe developer for Edible Madison where her Cook at Home column brings together voices and inspiration from across the region. She is a fierce advocate for local farms, local food, and cooking with the seasons. After ten years of owning and operating an organic CSA vegetable farm with her husband Kyle, Lauren draws her inspiration from the land and bounty available here in Wisconsin.

Lauren RudersdorfComment