The first time I (Cara) tried ramen noodles was at an actual Japanese restaurant in San Diego. I grew up eating Kraft mac and cheese, and garlic and parm flavored Pastaroni, but never Maruchan instant noodles. Like many American families, the only exposure I had to ramen noodles growing up was a small selection of Maruchan noodles in the grocery store. Before the internet was huge and helped bridge the gap between different world cultures, other culture’s foods were seen as “strange and weird” to the average small town American folks like my family (thank you, internet, for the way you’ve helped bridge the cultural-differences gap through travel and social media). I grew up on strictly American foods, you know, like purple ketchup and frozen pizzas. It wasn’t until my 20’s when I was forced through food sensitivities to explore new foods that I started adding in tons of different things I’ve never tried before. And that’s when I learned that ramen was so much more than a “cheap college kid meal”, and it was actually something so much more expansive and delicious then the bland American variations sold at Kroger.
Once I tried real ramen in 2017 and realized how amazing it was, I knew I had to start incorporating more ramen into my life! Gianni and I made our very first take on BBQ Pork Ramen shortly after that initial restaurant visit. Here’s a picture of it, actually:
Pretty basic. But to this day, it’s still my go-to! Flavored ramen noodles, BBQ pork belly, soft-boiled egg and green onions. Simple. Easy. Comforting. Flavorful! We’ve learned how to dress it up with other toppings, different seasonings, and even using homemade broth!
Today we’re sharing with you how to make this super simple BBQ Pork Ramen for yourself! If you’ve never tried ramen, you need to. Japanese food typically airs more on the side of lighter, earthier flavors compared to American food, so using our Americanized recipe is a nice way to ease into Japanese cuisine if you’ve never had it before! I’ll admit, I have a long way to go before I totally adore all the flavors of Japanese cuisine. My family and I are just straight up American with literally zero traces to any other culture when it comes to food. Asian foods can have some of the most contrasting flavors compared to American foods, but I have loved easing in and taste-testing all the new and exciting flavors that Japanese cuisine has to offer! We still have a lot of options to explore, with ramen AND with other Japanese dishes!
BBQ Pork Ramen:
• 1 package of ramen noodles (we used organic ramen from Whole Foods, but check your local Asian grocery store for some fun flavors!)
• 1.5 cups of broth (homemade, or store bought. You can also use water like the package says if you’d like!)
• Pork belly, sliced
• BBQ sauce, enough to lather your pork
• 1 green onion sprig, washed and finely chopped
• 1 soft-boiled egg
• 1/8 cup of frozen corn
• 1 tbsp of butter
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees for the pork
2. If you’re including a soft-boiled egg, now is the time to make that! *(we will include an easy guide for that down at the bottom)
3. Start by roasting your corn in butter. Add 1 tbsp of butter to a non-stick pan. Let it heat until it’s sizzling and then add your frozen corn. Cook until it’s nice and soft, then set aside.
4. Get your broth (or water) boiling! You can check the back our your ramen noodle’s package to see the exact cooking instructions
5. While your broth is heating up, prepare your pork! If you’re using pork belly like us, put it on a cutting board and cut it into thin slices, about a 1/4″ thick.
6. Lay your pork belly out on a baking sheet and lather each piece with your desired amount of bbq sauce.
7. Put the pork belly in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your pork. Check it after 5 minutes to see if you like where its at.
8. Now that your broth is probably boiling, drop your ramen noodles into the broth. If you’re adding the seasoning packet, now is the time to add that too. Let your noodles cook for about 4-5 minutes, or whatever the package says. Stir occasionally.
9. While the noodles are boiling and the pork is roasting, chop your green onion.
10. Remove your pork from that oven and set aside.
11. Turn off heat under your noodles and pour them into a bowl to cool.
12. Now, start layering you toppings! Cut your egg in half gently and add it to the bowl, yoke side up. Next, add the pork. Then the corn, and any other toppings you’re adding. Finally, garnish with the green onions.
13. You’re done! Grab your chopsticks and eat!!
*Here is a fool-proof way to cook a soft-boiled egg:
1. Use store-bought eggs, not farm-fresh. The shells don’t come off of farm-fresh eggs as easily for some reason! (hit us up if you know the science behind that!!!!)
2. STEAM the eggs, don’t boil them. If you have a steamer basket, add that to a pot with water and a lid and get the water boiling.
3. Once the steam is going full-blast, remove the lid and lower your egg(s) gently down into the basket using a large spoon.
4. Put the lid back on, and set a timer for 6 minutes.
5. While the eggs are cooking, put cold water and ice cubes into a small mixing bowl.
6. When the 6 minutes are up, turn off the heat and add the eggs into the ice water bath.
7. Once the eggs have cooled down for 3-5 minutes, peel off the shells!
8. To peel the shell, hit your egg on the counter at the bottom, rounded side of the egg to get the best access. There is a flat side at the bottom of the egg that has a little air pocket between itself and the shell, creating a great entry point for shell removal.