Restaurant-Quality Shoyu Miso Ramen Recipe

Ingredients

• ¼ cup dried black fungus
• 2 cups mirin
• 1 ¼ cups soy sauce, divided
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 6 green onion bulbs, chopped, divided
• ½ onion, coarsely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 pounds skin-on, boneless pork belly
• butcher's twine
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup miso paste
• 4 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, or to taste
• 4 sheets nori (dry seaweed), quartered
• 1 naruto (fish paste stick with a red spiral pattern). sliced

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 275°F (135°C). Soak the black fungus in a big bowl of water while you prep the rest. In an oven-safe pot, mix together the mirin, half a cup of soy sauce, half a cup of brown sugar, chopped green onion bulbs, onion, and garlic. Bring this mixture to a boil on the stove.

Step 2

Take the pork belly and roll it up lengthwise with the skin side down, then tie it securely with butcher’s twine. Nestle the pork belly into the pot with the mirin mixture, partially cover it with a lid, and pop it in the oven. Let it bake for about four hours until the pork is super tender and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).

Step 3

While the pork is cooking, boil a pot of water and gently lower in the eggs. Cook them for 8 to 10 minutes until the yolks are just set, then transfer them to an ice water bath for a minute before peeling. Once peeled, place the eggs in a container with a mix of water, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Cover with a damp paper towel and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight to let the flavors soak in.

Step 4

When the pork is done, drain the soaked fungus and add it to the pot with the pork belly liquid. Cover and chill this in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Later, scoop the fungus out and put it in a pot with about 8 cups of water (enough to cover it in the pork fat), then stir in soy sauce and miso paste. Heat this broth until it comes to a boil.

Step 5

Take the skin off the pork belly and chop the meat into bite-sized pieces. Cut the marinated eggs in half lengthwise. Cook your ramen noodles in boiling water for about 3 minutes until they’re tender but still have a bit of bite. Drain them well.

Step 6

To serve, place a few nori sheets in the corners of each bowl. Add the noodles, then arrange the egg halves and pork slices around the bowl. Spoon the black fungus and some chopped green onions on top, then ladle in the hot broth. Finish with a few slices of naruto. Let it sit for a couple of minutes before digging in—this lets all the flavors meld together perfectly.