Shoyu Ramen with Pork

Ramen with Pork
Ramen with Pork

My current cookery course is focused on cooking from South and East Asia. For lesson one I taught my students two dishes from China. Then for lesson 2 we moved onto Japan. For this lesson I wanted to show students how to make a Ramen at home. One that you can buy all the ingredients from UK supermarkets. Once you have all the ingredients assembled making Ramen is quite easy.

Shoyo Ramen is a Soy based ramen broth usually made from chicken stock.  Shoyu ramen can be topped with chicken or pork, here I am using roast shoulder of pork leftover.

Origins of Ramen
Today everyone thinks of Ramen as a Japanese invention but its origins come from China, and Chinese cooks took this noodle dish to Yokohama,Japan around 1910.

These days there are lots of types of Ramen (some say as many as 27) and so many contraditory stories on the internet, but originally there were three.  Paitan which is Shellfish based and includes fish gelatin, kelp and tuna extracts, Shoyu a soy sauce broth made with chicken broth that can includie a sauce made from Bonito tuna. and mirin, and Tonkotsu made from a pork bone broth that is often cloudy due to its gelatious nature.

When choosing which Ramen to demonstrate for my online cookery class I wanted create a Ramen recipe that was achievable at home with ingredients that were available.  I do hope some of you will give my recipe a try.

Shoyu Ramen (serves 4)

1200ml good quality chicken stock (homemade preferably)

4 spring onions (scallions) cut into 2 inch pieces,

15g peeled garlic cloves sliced

35 grams ginger sliced

3 small fresh chillis seeded and cut into small dice

60 ml soy sauce

60 ml mirin

5 grams Dried wild mushrooms (optional)

125 grams fresh shiitake mushrooms

2 x 200 grams Itsu soba ramen noodles

Regular soft boiled eggs

4 large eggs

350g- 400g Cooked Roast shoulder of Pork 2-3 slices per person

Steamed greens

1 Pak choi sliced

Soy sauce to taste

Sesame oil a drizzle

Ramen toppings (optional, and can be substituted with whatever you prefer)

3 spring onions (scallions) finely sliced

Washed bean sprouts or sliced radishes

Shoyu Broth

  1. Place the optional dried wild mushrooms in a cup a cover with boiling water.
  2. Remove stalks from the shiitake mushrooms and reserve with the mushrooms.
  3. In one saucepan, place the shitake stalks, chicken stock, ginger, garlic, spring onions, ½ of the chili, soy sauce, the soaked wild mushrooms and liquid, and mirin. Stir and let it come to a simmer on low heat and simmer for 25 minutes with a lid on.
  4. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Push the garlic, ginger, spring onions and mushroom stalks  against the inside of the sieve to extract as much of the flavour from the vegetables, so as to not to lose any stock.
  5. Meanwhile prepare the soft boiled eggs by placing a drawing pin (thumb tack) in the bottom of each egg and boil for 6 minutes. Then cool eggs down quickly in ice water to stop the cooking.
  6. Once cooled peel the eggs and reserve.
  7. Slice the reserved shiitake mushrooms thinly and drop into the strained stock and heat on a medium low heat to cook them.
  8. Steam the Pak choi and the remaining chilli then drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce and keep warm.
  9. Slice the roast pork into thin slices making sure you have 2-3 slices per portion.
  10. Get a pot of lightly salted boiling water ready, then cook the ramen noodles for 3 minutes and drain.

Assembly of Ramen

  1. Cling wrap and microwave the sliced roasted pork for 1 minute or until hot.
  2. Drop the boiled eggs into boiling water for 1 minute then drain.
  3. Divide the hot broth between four hot bowls.
  4. Add the noodles then the toppings (steamed pak choi and chilli).
  5. Sprinkle with spring onions and a few bean sprouts.
  6. Next add the hot slices of roast pork and cut the eggs in half carefully.

Chef’s Notes

If you don’t happen to have some roast pork to use for this Ramen you can buy a piece of belly draft and slow roast it yourself.

Shoyu Ramen with Pork©Kevin Ashton 2023

48 thoughts on “Shoyu Ramen with Pork”

  2. That looks delicious.

    I didn’t know ramen 🍜 was originally Chinese only coming to Japan around 1910.

    Being a fan of both Japanese music videos (Pink Lady, Moritaka Chisato, Aya Matsuura) and Japanese movies, I’ve always associated Ramen 🍜 with Japan.

    That does look like a delicious dish.

    I’ll have to try it.

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    1. Thank you Chris, I too share an interest in Japanese films, anima and their culture. In the UK once or twice a year they have an Expo called Hyper Japan, which makes for a fascinating day out.
      Best Wishes
      Kevin

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  8. When we visited Japan, we made it a point to only eat Japanese food. Everything was great – including the rubber (ceramic?) depictions of the various meals in the outside windows of restaurants. We just grabbed a waiter and pointed. This dish reminds me of pho, which I had this weekend at a Vietnames restaurant.

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    1. Hi Noelle,
      I guess the ceramic depictions means their menus are set in stone?
      My wife is a big fan of Japanese food and fashion and I’m sure at some point we will travel out there.
      Happy Holidays
      Kevin 🙂

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      2. Glad that bad experience didn’t change your opinion of Japan.

        Unsafe food handling is the enermy of any food business. When I teach food hygiene I explain to students that bad personal hygiene is the biggest cause of food poisoning.

        P.s I have just published my Youtube video of Shoyu Ramen.
        Happy Holidays
        Kevin

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  9. Thanks, Kevin. Except for that one glitch, we had a great time in Japan. I had dinner on a platform over a racing river one night – didn’t eat much because I had to be introduced to all the family members, one by one.

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    1. Sounds like a memorable evening and brought to mind the time I was white water rafting in West Virginia. We did’nt get chance to eat either. 🙂
      Happy Holidays to you and your family.

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      1. Same to you and yours! I made a chicken, spinach and gnocchi soup last night using a recipe from a local restaurant. I don’t usually believe such recipes but this one was great!

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    1. Thank you Ablet for your kind and thoughtful words. The Japanese sometimes soak the boiled eggs in a soy sauce mixture to add even more flavour.
      Best Wishes and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. 🙂

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  14. For some reason, wordpress says I do follow you (as I have for years), but I have not been receiving them – I think I’ve fixed the problem – at least I hope so!

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    1. Yes, I wanted to make a soup theat was light and yet full of taste. The wonderful thing about the internet is it teaches all about food from around the world, and food brings all closer.
      Best Wishes
      Kevin:)

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