Ramen Noodle Soup
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 30, 2009
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Broth
1 ½ pounds boneless, country-style pork ribs 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 medium onion, chopped medium6 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled, sliced into ¼-inch-thick coins, and smashed8 cups low-sodium chicken brothSoup
4 (3-ounce) packages instant ramen noodles, flavoring packets discardedSalt 3 tablespoons red miso paste 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon mirin ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil 2 scallions, sliced thin on the bias (see illustration below)1 tablespoon sesame seedsBefore You Begin
To make processing and slicing pork easier, freeze it for 15 minutes. Supermarket ramen works well here; just be sure to discard the flavoring packet. Dried ramen noodles (the kind sold without a packet of flavoring) can be found at Asian markets. If you can't find miso paste, you can simply omit it, but the soup will have a less complex flavor. Be ready to serve the soup immediately after cooking the pork in step 4; if the pork sits in the hot broth for too long it will turn tough.
Instructions
- Slice 1/2 pound of the pork ribs crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices; cover and refrigerate until needed. Cut the remaining 1 pound pork ribs into 1-inch chunks, then process in a food processor to a coarse chopped texture, about 10 pulses.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped pork and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, partially cover, bring to a simmer and cook until the broth is flavorful, about 40 minutes. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer. (The broth can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day.)
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the ramen noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the noodles and divide them evenly between 4 individual serving bowls.
- Return the strained broth to a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk 1/2 cup of the hot broth into the miso until dissolved and smooth, then whisk the miso mixture into the saucepan. Stir in the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and sliced pork. Cover, remove the saucepan from the heat, and let sit until the pork is cooked through, about 3 minutes (do not overcook). Season with salt to taste. Ladle the soup into individual bowls, garnish with the scallions and sesame seeds, and serve.
for the broth
for the soup
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Broth
Soup
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Broth
Soup
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Broth
Soup
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a fast yet flavorful ramen, with a broth that was richly flavored with pork and hit the perfect level of seasoning, we decided to use store-bought chicken broth as a broth base. We infused it with pork flavor by cutting boneless country-style spare ribs into chunks and pulsing them in a food processor until coarsely ground. With the meat broken down, it more readily released its flavor, and after only 40 minutes of simmering, with garlic and ginger added, we had a fragrant broth redolent of pork. Though we were hesitant to use dried ramen noodles from the packets sold in supermarkets in our ramen soup recipe, we preferred them to all the types of noodles that we tried. We cooked them in boiling water—without their seasoning packets—then drained them and divided them among bowls, into which we poured our broth and garnishes.
Before You Begin
To make processing and slicing pork easier, freeze it for 15 minutes. Supermarket ramen works well here; just be sure to discard the flavoring packet. Dried ramen noodles (the kind sold without a packet of flavoring) can be found at Asian markets. If you can't find miso paste, you can simply omit it, but the soup will have a less complex flavor. Be ready to serve the soup immediately after cooking the pork in step 4; if the pork sits in the hot broth for too long it will turn tough.
Instructions
- Slice 1/2 pound of the pork ribs crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices; cover and refrigerate until needed. Cut the remaining 1 pound pork ribs into 1-inch chunks, then process in a food processor to a coarse chopped texture, about 10 pulses.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped pork and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, partially cover, bring to a simmer and cook until the broth is flavorful, about 40 minutes. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer. (The broth can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day.)
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the ramen noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the noodles and divide them evenly between 4 individual serving bowls.
- Return the strained broth to a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk 1/2 cup of the hot broth into the miso until dissolved and smooth, then whisk the miso mixture into the saucepan. Stir in the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and sliced pork. Cover, remove the saucepan from the heat, and let sit until the pork is cooked through, about 3 minutes (do not overcook). Season with salt to taste. Ladle the soup into individual bowls, garnish with the scallions and sesame seeds, and serve.
for the broth
for the soup
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