🧂 Ingredients

• 2 lbs pork belly
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup mirin
• ½ cup sake
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 knob ginger, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 scallions, roughly chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock (or mix of chicken & pork bone broth)
• 2 cups dashi stock (can be made from kombu + bonito flakes or use instant dashi)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 piece ginger (1 inch), sliced
• 4 ramen eggs (ajitsuke tamago – soft-boiled and marinated, see below)
• menma (fermented bamboo shoots)
• nori (seaweed sheets)
• scallions, finely sliced
• toasted sesame seeds
• corn
• bean sprouts
• spinach
• 4 servings fresh ramen noodles (or high-quality dried noodles)

📖 Instructions

Serves 4 | Time: 3–4 hours for full preparation

Make the Chashu Pork (3 hours in advance or day before):
Remove skin of pork belly. Roll the pork belly into a cylinder and tie with kitchen twine.
In a pot, combine ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup mirin, ½ cup sake, ½ cup water, ¼ cup sugar, 1 knob ginger, 3 cloves garlic, and 3 scallions.
Add pork belly and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and braise on low heat for 2–2.5 hours, turning occasionally.
Remove pork, let cool slightly, and slice into thin rounds.
Sear slices lightly in a pan or torch for caramelization.
Reserve the braising liquid — use it to marinate eggs or flavor the broth.

🥚 Make Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago):
Soft-boil 4 eggs (6.5 minutes), then chill in ice water.
Peel and marinate in the reserved chashu braising liquid for 2–12 hours in the fridge.

🧄 Prepare the Broth (Simmer during pork cook):
In a large pot, combine 6 cups chicken stock and 2 cups dashi stock. Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake, 1 tsp sugar, 2 garlic cloves, and 1 inch piece of ginger, sliced.
Simmer for at least 30–60 minutes to deepen the flavor.
Strain broth and keep warm. Add 1–2 tablespoons of chashu marinade for deeper umami if desired.

🍥 Cook the Noodles:
Boil ramen noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse briefly in hot water to remove excess starch.

🍜 Assemble Your Ramen Bowl:
Place cooked noodles in each bowl.
Ladle hot broth over the noodles.
Top with sliced chashu, halved ramen egg, menma, nori, scallions, and any other toppings you like.

🍽️ Tips for Authentic Flavor:
Use katsuobushi and kombu to make real dashi stock for superior umami.
The longer the chashu marinates, the better the flavor.
Let your broth simmer longer if you have time — deeper, richer taste.