This is my family’s from-scratch ‘instant ramen’ recipe! Real ramen takes days to prepare, involving mountains of stock bones and slowly simmering big pots of soup. We started making this quick miso ramen recipe instead that tastes uncannily like the real thing but takes a fraction of the time and effort! Pork mince is the secret. It flavours the broth and then doubles as a topping. Aside from pork, you just need a handful of Japanese and Western pantry staples. Customise your ramen toppings however you like. We love to do Sapporo-style miso ramen, complete with soft-boiled egg, sweetcorn and of course a generous pat of butter!

PREP TIME
15 minutes

COOK TIME
45 minutes

INGREDIENTS
Serves 2

1 1/2 tbsp of pork lard¹
1/2 tbsp of sesame oil
180g fatty pork mince (pork belly is best!)²
2 tsp finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp finely minced ginger
1 1/2 tbsp cooking sake
200g fresh ramen noodles³

STOCK
3 cups (750ml) low-salt chicken stock
1/4 cup (60ml) water
5 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 small brown onion, thickly sliced

RAMEN BROTH
2 tbsp shiro miso⁴ (white miso)
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp light soy sauce⁵
1 1/4 tsp dashi powder⁶
Pinch of cooking salt

PORK SAUCE
1 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp white sugar
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp cooking sake

OTHER TOPPINGS
1 egg, soft-boiled
1/3 cup (45g) corn kernels (frozen, or canned and drained)
1 1/2 cups (120g) bean sprouts
1/4 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
1 green onion stem, finely sliced
20g unsalted butter, cut into 2 slices

METHOD
STOCK – Place the stock ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium–high heat. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Cover, then simmer gently for 30 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

COOK PORK – Place the lard and sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium–high heat. Once the lard melts, add the pork and cook until it changes from pink to white. Add the garlic and ginger, then cook until you get some golden pork bits sticking to the base of the pan (about 2 minutes). Add the sake and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from the stove.

RAMEN BROTH – Strain the stock into the pork mince pot through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing the liquid out of the mushrooms and onion. Discard the onion and reserve the mushrooms for another purpose (add to a stir-fry!). Whisk in the ramen broth ingredients. Return to the stove over medium heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

STRAIN – Strain the ramen broth into another medium saucepan, pressing the liquid out of the pork. Reserve pork. Cover the broth with a lid and keep hot for serving.

PORK TOPPING – Heat the 1 teaspoon of oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the reserved pork mince and cook for 1 minute. Add the other pork sauce ingredients and cook for 1 minute until caramelised. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

CORN AND BEAN SPROUTS – Warm the corn and bean sprouts for 30 seconds on High in the microwave.

NOODLES – Cook the noodles as per the packet directions but no matter what the packet says, do not rinse! This dilutes the flavour of the broth and cools the noodles – both bad things!

ASSEMBLE AND SERVE – Divide the noodles between two bowls and pour over the hot ramen broth. Top with the pork, egg, corn and bean sprouts. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion, then place the butter into the broth. Serve! 

NOTES
1. Pork fat that can be found at large grocery stores, usually alongside butter. Use leftovers for roasting vegetables – extra flavour!

2. Ask your butcher to mince up pork belly meat for you! If you can only find standard packets of pork mince, add another tablespoon of pork lard.

3. Ramen noodles can be found at Asian grocery stores. Substitute with thin egg noodles.

4. A type of light miso that can be found at large grocery stores and Asian stores.

5. Light soy sauce can be substituted with all-purpose soy sauce.

6. Dashi powder can be found at large grocery stores and Asian stores. It’s a fish-based stock powder that is a key ingredient in Japanese cooking.

7. Make ahead: Ramen components can be stored separately for up to three days in the fridge, though the noodles should be cooked fresh.Dinner by Nagi Maehashi, published by Macmillan Australia, RRP $44.99.