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Sweet Soy Sauce Pork Belly Ramen

Recipe by Connie Veneracion
The procedure below begins with a slab of pork belly, and describes exactly how I cooked this bowl of noodle soup.
If, instead of a slab, you have pre-sliced pork belly, just skip the parts about parboling and partially simmering the meat in water. Instead, lightly brown both sides of the pork slices in a little oil, pour in broth (you can get away with just water), add the soy sauce, sake, mirin and ginger, and proceed from there.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian Fusion
Servings 3 people
Pork belly slices, noodles, green beans, potatoes and carrots in sweet soy sauce broth

Ingredients
  

Pork and broth

To complete the dish

Instructions
 

Cook the pork

  • Boil about six cups of water in a pot.
  • Slide in the slab of pork belly and boil over high heat, uncovered, for ten minutes.
  • Drain the pork, rinse under the tap making sure to remove visible impurities.
  • Clean out the pot, boil another six cups of water, add the pork and bring to the boil.
  • Cover the pot, set the heat to low and simmer the pork for 20 minutes, flipping it over after ten minutes.
  • Turn off the heat, scoop out the pork and leave to rest on the cutting board for 15 minutes.
  • Cut the pork into slices (between a quarter inch and half an inch is good).
  • Put the pork slices into the cooking liquid and turn on the stove again.
  • Pour in the soy sauce, sake and mirin, and add the ginger.
  • Cover the pot and simmer the pork for 30 to 40 minutes. If the liquid dries out before the cooking time is up, add more water, no more than half a cup at a time (you only need about two and a half cups of broth by the end of cooking time).
  • While the pork simmers, peel the potatoes and carrot and cut into two-inch cubes.
  • Trim the ends and sides of the green beans, and cut each bean into two.
  • In an oil-free pan, toast the sesame seeds until nicely browned and nutty in aroma.
  • Cook the instant ramen per package directions, drain and divide among three bowls.
  • Add the potato and carrot cubes, and green beans to the pork, and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
  • Taste the broth, and add more soy sauce, if needed.
  • Using kitchen tongs (or chopsticks), lift the pork belly slices one by one and arrange on one side of the noodles in each of the three bowls.
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the broth and arrange in the bowls.
  • Ladle hot broth directly over the noodles, pork and vegetables.
  • Sprinkle in toasted sesame seeds.
  • Serve your sweet soy sauce pork belly ramen immediately.
Keyword Instant Ramen, Instant Ramen Hacks, Pork Belly