Name: Slow-Cooker Miso-Pork Ramen
Total time: 6 h
Cuisine: AsianJapaneseAsia
Ingredients: 8 cups chicken broth; 1/2 cup white miso; 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms , stemmed and sliced thin; 4 scallions , white and green parts separated, green parts sliced thin on bias; 6 garlic cloves , smashed and peeled; 1 (1½-inch) piece ginger , peeled and sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds; 1 (2½-pound) boneless pork butt roast , trimmed; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1 (4-inch) square piece kombu (optional); 6 (3-ounce) packages ramen noodles , seasoning packets reserved for another use

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted an easier path to truly delicious homemade ramen. To get there, we used the slow cooker to build a savory pork-infused broth by slowly simmering a pork butt roast (a well-marbled cut from the shoulder of the pig) in a mixture of chicken broth and umami-rich white miso. Cooking the pork to an internal temperature of 195 degrees resulted in a tender yet sliceable roast that looked great atop a bowl of ramen. Garlic, scallion, ginger, and sliced shiitakes stirred into the broth before cooking layered in aromatic complexity and earthy depth. Kombu, a type of dried kelp, may be harder to find in some supermarkets, but it was worth seeking out for this recipe. Steeping a sheet of it in the broth while the pork rested amped up the broth's savoriness even further.

Before You Begin

You can substitute 1¾ pounds of fresh ramen noodles for the dried. This recipe makes more pork than needed, but cooking the full amount is essential to the broth's flavor. Kombu can be found in well-stocked grocery stores, Asian markets, or online. We like to serve this soup with Soy-Marinated Eggs and Sichuan Chili Oil, but plain soft-cooked eggs and toasted sesame oil are great, too.

Instructions

Whisk broth and miso together in slow cooker. Add mushrooms, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger. Sprinkle pork with pepper and transfer to slow cooker. Cover and cook until pork is tender and registers 195 degrees, 4 to 6 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low. Transfer pork to cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add kombu, if using, to broth mixture in slow cooker and cook, covered, on high for 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove and discard scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and kombu, leaving mushrooms in slow cooker.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add noodles and cook until tender but still chewy. Drain noodles and divide evenly among serving bowls. Slice pork in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise ¼ inch thick. Ladle broth into bowls. Serve ramen topped with 3 or 4 slices of pork and scallion greens.