Ingredients
500 g pork belly piece, skin and excess fat removed
100 ml soy sauce, plus a splash
100 ml mirin
1 pack ramen noodles – around 270 g
4 handfuls young spinach
4 hard boiled eggs, to serve
1 handful beansprouts
½ bunch spring onions, finely sliced
Spicy broth
½ bunch spring onions, chopped
6 slices ginger
1 red chilli, halved
1 clove garlic, halved
1.5 litres chicken stock
1 sesame oil splash
Method
- Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C. To make the pork belly, put the pork in a small baking dish it will fit snugly. Mix the soy, mirin and 200ml water, and pour this over the pork belly. Add a little more water, if needed, to just cover the meat. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 3 hours. Pour away the cooking liquid. Cool the pork for 30 minutes, then wrap it in clingfilm and weight down with a heavy chopping board. Chill overnight, or for at least 6 hours to set the shape.
- To make the broth, put the spring onions, ginger, chilli and garlic on a chopping board and bruise them all with a rolling pin. Put it into a pan, add the chicken stock and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Strain out all the solids and discard them.
- Slice the pork into neat slices and reheat it in the broth, adding a splash of soy and sesame oil for flavour.
- Cook the ramen following the packet instructions, and drain and divide the noodles between 4 warmed bowls. Add a handful of spinach to each bowl, then pour over the simmering broth. Top with a few slices of pork, egg halves, beansprouts and spring onion.
